


Through the Mist

by Eveningstargazer



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Child Abuse, Human Experimentation, Levi wears a kilt, M/M, Pining, Slow Build, Soulmates, Torture, ancient Scotland, things get strange, twin flames
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-09
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2019-07-08 18:59:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 42,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15936371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eveningstargazer/pseuds/Eveningstargazer
Summary: Levi is the strongest alpha in Clan Scout.  With mating season only a few months away, he must find the source of visions which have plagued him for years in order to avoid succumbing to theruguire, a madness brought on by a tenth mating season without a rut for a presented alpha.Confused by fearsome visions, phantom pains, and a burning drive towards a circle of carved stone in the middle of his clan's forest, Levi finds himself mourning the loss of something he never realized he had.





	1. Shackles

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone!! For those of you who have come here from [ Let Me Take Care of You ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14401473/chapters/33257907) thank you so much for your support! For those of you new to me, thank you for stopping by! This is a story that had been bouncing around in my head for quite some time. The updates will be slow to start as I am working on Kinktober at the moment but should pick up once that is over. Please be mindful of the tags, this is not a fic for the faint of heart. 
> 
> Thank you again and please let me know what you think!!

The cool mist swirled around Levi's feet, sending tiny tremors through his already shivering frame. He shifted his weight between sore feet, unsteady and unsure. His eyes traveled along the carved stone before him, piecing it together as though unable to see the landscape in its entirety.

 

Levi's mind reached for the reason he had come here, like a child trying to speak a word they had heard a thousand times but unable to form the sounds with their own lips. His gaze bore into the stone as though he might be able to discern his purpose from the carved lines. 

 

The soft breeze sent another chill down his spine, like a lovers fingertips ghosting across his pale flesh. A frown pulled at the corners of his thin lips, his brow furrowed in frustration, confusion, and then anguish. The moon hung high against a backdrop of brilliant stars and his heart clenched as the pain of realization seeped into his mind. 

_He isn't here,_ his heart supplied. He blinked in confusion at the voice coming from within. _He didn't come,_ again the clenching of his chest, _It isn't time._ As the words rippled through his mind, he collapsed, his knees sinking into the soft earth beneath him. Catching himself with the palms of his hands, his trimmed nails dug into the damp moss. He fisted his hands against the pain of grief coursing through his veins, but still the current of confusion underlay the onslaught of emotions. 

_Who?_ he tried to ask whatever voice resonated from within. He was met with deafening silence, a purposeful lack of sound that left him empty, confused and in mourning. It hadn't been this bad in a while, the deafening emotions clouding his otherwise calm thoughts. Something was wrong. 

Levi jumped as he felt something tug at him. His eyes widened as the feeling of shackles closed around his wrists, causing him to pull his hands to his chest and cradle them there. He gasped as he felt the pain of too tight bonds encircling his ankles. His hands and feet scrabbled against the dirt, instinct driving him to escape the pain despite being unable to see the cause. The voice inside him continued to mummer in disappointment and anguish. _They're hurting him,_ it wailed as Levi backed against a tree, gasping for air and trembling.

A scream ripped its way form his throat as he felt the sharp pain of a needle piercing his scent gland. He squeezed his eyes shut and for only a breath he was no longer in the forest, no longer surrounded by a warm breeze and soft scents. Instead, he was in a dark, stone-lined cellar, the air heavy with a sterile scent. He felt himself scream again, but the voice he heard was not his own; it was something feral, something utterly broken and abandoned. 

Levi opened his eyes, drinking in large gasps of air as he took in the forest once more. Then, he ran, sore feet carrying him further and further from the place he had stumbled to in delirium at such a dark hour, pulled by an unknown force through the forest to that clearing with the dark stone ruins. He ran, thin pink lines forming on his skin where he was sliced by branches as he bolted past. He tripped and collapsed to his knees and let out a mournful wail for the loss of something he could not identify.

~~~

When Levi made it out of the forest, feet covered in blood and mud, he blinked rapidly. The sun had begun to peek between the mountains in the distance. Levi paused, breathing in the scent of fresh heather as its blooms dappled the rolling hills before him. His pace had begun to slow as he reached the edge of the forest, the familiar scents and landscapes soothing the storm of emotions in his mind. As he looked out on his homeland, the quiet returned. The pain that had be radiating throughout every muscle and joint dissipated and he felt as close to normal as he could, given the circumstances.

 

Levi's sharp ears picked up the quiet sounds of the village awakening. The bark of a shepherd's mastiff drew the man's attention away from the ever brightening sky before him.

 

"Levi!!" a large man, broad shouldered with piercing blue eyes ard blond hair that appeared golden as the sun that climbed higher in the sky, waved from the center of the herd. The corner of the raven's lips quirked up at the sight of Erwin, one of only a few people who could elicit even the ghost of a smile from the stoic man.

"Commander, it's good to see you," Levi said, smoothing down his kilt and straightening his tunic as he made his way towards Erwin. Levi ran his fingers through the wool of the sheep that surrounded him, parting like the sea for Moses as he made his way through the herd. The soft yet wiry texture soothed the last of his nerves as he felt the fully risen sun warm his raven hair. The breeze billowed through his tunic before pressing it back closely to his pale skin, hugging the curve of his muscles. 

"What were you up to so early this morning?" Erwin asked, tone pleasant and curious rather than accusatory. Levi closed his eyes against the fresh memories that threatened to send him to his knees once more. Levi breathed the scent of farm and home in deeply, settling his nerves before ensuring that his features returned to their typical indifferent facade and shrugging in response. Erwin did not miss the flash of pain clouding Levi's features, but chose to give him the luxury of feigned ignorance until he was ready to share. 

"Petra said she would have breakfast ready for the clan by the time I got back," Erwin said, changing the subject to save Levi the discomfort of attempting to do so himself. Levi smiled at that, something barely twisting his lips but enough to show Erwin that whatever had taken control for those fleeting moments was gone now. It would need to be addressed eventually. _Ever our strongest, I see_ Erwin thought to himself before whistling and calling to the mastiff to round up the herd. 

The pair made their way towards the village center, the rolling hill leading up to the castle to their left and the sheer cliffs to their right. The waves of the bay crashed against the cliffs, the dull drum replaced by the welcoming sounds of the village as they drew nearer. They climbed the final hill, herd moving at the direction of the mastiff, joined by another two of Erwin's dogs, as the were shuffled to what would be their resting place for the remainder of the day. 

A ruckus sounded from the castle's courtyard, doors swung wide to welcome the hustle and bustle of village life. While most of the villagers resided outside the castle, their days were spent within its comforting walls. Ever since Erwin had become chief, taking over after the previous reigning clan had been overthrown, the castle has become as much a part of the village as the people themselves. The gates remained open at all times, the only closed doors leading to Erwin's personal quarters and the barracks on the opposite side of the courtyard. 

Levi had been wary when Erwin took over. Kenny had been an evil ruler, but an evil you knew was still better than one you did not. Erwin was a strategist however, and it didn't take him long to realize how valuable Levi could be, both as a fighting force within his gallowglass, his most elite rank of warriors, and as a way to secure favor with the people of the village, who had looked to Levi for guidance through the difficult rule of his uncle. 

The ruckus grew louder as the pair approached, the sound guiding them towards the clan table positioned in the center of the courtyard, large platters of biscuits, bread, and goat's milk cheese placed upon it. Several grouse were roasting over the cooking pit off to the side, the smell wafting over the villagers and making their mouths water. 

As they passed, several villagers reached out to pat Erwin on the back, welcoming him back from his morning duties. The clan had warmed up to him in the years since his rule began, seeing the way he acted as one of them, one of the common, rather than a haughty lord to rule them with an iron fist. Erwin still herded sheep, still milked the goats and hunted with the clan in the vast forests of their land when time allowed. As loved as Levi was by the clan, they knew better than to reach out and touch him, satisfying their tactile needs on Erwin instead. 

Many had wondered why Levi had not fought Erwin for the title of chief, seeking instead to join the new leader's army as his right hand when a single battle to the death would have won him the three eagle feathers. Despite being well known as the strongest alpha in the clan, even stronger than Erwin, Levi had chosen to remain as he was, a soldier. He had no desire to rule the clan as the blond alpha did, instead seeking relative solitude in a life that allowed him to rely on his instincts which had been well honed into those of a skilled and lethal tool by his uncle. 

Levi was broken from his reverie by an excited omega bounding towards him, shouting at the sheep as they parted for her. 

"Big Bro!" she screamed in his ear as she jumped into his arms. He held her close, smiling softly as she squirmed in his arms. She giggled as she whipped her curly red hair in his face. He breathed in deep, calmed by the scent of family.

"Hey, Is," he murmured, smiling as he saw her alpha, Furlan, sauntering up lazily behind her.

Furlan pressed up against Levi's side, the pressure a sign of affection between family as Isabel finally disentangled herself from Levi's hold. Isabel's face scrunched with worry, taking in the darker than usual shadows beneath Levi's eyes and the clouded mercury of his iris. 

"It happened again," she said, quietly but without question. Levi nodded, barely a movement but enough to spark worry across the pair's faces. 

"You need to tell Hange," Furlan urged, the trio making their way to a more secluded spot in the courtyard to afford them a bit more privacy. 

"She's tried everything already," Levi said, his voice tired and laced with mourning that the other two had never heard before. "I already haven't had a rut in nine mating seasons, no matter how she's tried to initiate one," he sighed. "She's about ready to lock me in the dungeon and throw Petra on me if we can't figure this out by next season, just so I don't become a _ruguire_ ," Levi said, voice a little frantic as he imagined the eccentric alpha pushing her omega mate on him. They were close, Levi having been unceremoniously adopted by the crazy brunette when Erwin had become chief. He knew Petra and Hange would do anything for him, even if it meant ignoring their instincts and loyalty to one another if it could keep him from turning into nothing better than an animal for the rest of his life. 

An alpha who had gone through his tenth season without a rut would slowly descend into madness, their body assuming there were no unmated omegas available and forcing the alpha into an animalistic fury, hellbent on claiming anything they could, even if it meant fighting other mates to the death to get to a bonded, but suitable, omega. Levi had no desire to become such a creature. His instincts were an asset to him, a weapon for the clan, but for them to turn on the people he cared for most, it would destroy him. Hange had theorized that if an alpha willingly allowed him to mate with their omega, it could bring about a rut, allowing that part of his instincts to be sated. 

Before he could think more on the topic, the alpha in him roared to life, Crying out at the idea of spending a mating season with the omega. _We cannot betray our mate,_ his inner alpha roared, leaving Levi reeling with the anguish coursing through him. He was confused, his hand rising to stroke fingertips against his scent gland, suddenly mourning the absence of a mark there. He blinked, forgetting his two friends who continued to stare after him as he rose and walked towards the barracks. He expected his feet to take him through the door and to his bunk, hopefully to make up for the lost sleep from the previous evening, but instead they carried him past the door and around the back. He stood at the edge of the cliff, heart pounding in his chest as he felt a searing pain travel up his spine. He squeezed his eyes shut, the stone walls from that morning flashing before his eyes once again before he felt a hand on his shoulder. Hange smiled softly down at him, a knowing look on her face as she watched the pain slowly drain from his face as he came back to himself. 

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked. Levi knew he should have gone to her the moment the visions returned. They had come and gone so often in his childhood that he had accepted them as a fact of life. Hange had only found out when Levi had collapsed in front of her. It had happened three years prior, a stranger from another clan by the name of Nile had taken lodging with the clan on his way to the mouth of the bay. He had smelled familiar, almost like Kenny and Levi had growled lowly, taking Erwin aside to attempt to convince him to send the man away. Ewin had denied him, seeing is as Levi simply being overprotective of his clan. After supper, Levi had passed by Nile, nose twitching before the man shifted, a small cloth falling to the ground. Levi had bent to pick it up, but the moment he had grabbed it, the soft fabric brushing against the scent gland in his wrist, his eyes had gone wide and his vision blurred. 

It had been the first time he had _felt_ his visions. Before, they had mostly just been fleeting things, living dreams of sorts. However, this one had felt like a living hell, searing pain shooting through his body, heat drenching his skin in sweat and his cock had shot so hard so quickly that it brought him to his knees. Hange had been there, running to his side and helping him into the barracks. It hadn't been a rut, not truly, nothing that could have satisfied the requirements to prevent him turning, but it had been a near thing, enough to take him out of commission for the rest of the evening as he sorted himself out. 

Hange once again pulled him from his memory with a soft squeeze to his shoulder. "We will find him for you," Hange whispered. After many late nights of talking with Levi, she had come to the same conclusion he had. Levi had a twin flame, the other half of his soul somewhere in the world, ripped from him by fate and seeking to reunite in whatever way possible. He heard a howl, something high and pained, dark and lonely. He had only heard it once when he had seen an omega watch their alpha die in battle. It was a call of grief, longing and pain. He realized when he looked at the tears forming in Hange's eyes, that the sound had come from him.


	2. Chains

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please mind the tags.

Levi leaned against the stone window sill, the breeze ruffling his hair as he looked out on the moors full of blooming fall heather. Mother Bhéara had shown her wrath as winter approached, unleashing storms that tamped down the earth, making mud run in rivers through the highlands. With how rainy the season had been, the hills looked as though they were engulfed in purple flames, Bhéara's tears feeding the soil as she wept. The bright, clear sky and the soft, herbal notes of the blooms' scent wafting through the castle lulled the inhabitants into a calmness that seemed to permeate every aspect of their work. Even the shouting of the children playing barley-break in the courtyard and the bleating of the sheep being herded out of their pen seemed muffled to Levi's ears. He clasped his hands together, pressing his forearms to the rough sill before ducking down to rest his forehead on the cool stone. Levi shuddered, feverish despite the cool breeze traveling down from mountains which were already covered in frost. He stared at his feet, his two deerhounds standing guard behind him as the breeze cooled the sweat that had gathered on his nape. 

They say dogs resemble their owners and usually, that would hold true. Maria and Sina were as stoic as Levi, rarely making a sound or leaving his side unless on a hunt. They remained so now, but their master was far from his usual self. Levi pressed his head harder against the stone, the harsh scrape against pale skin grounding him against the onslaught of memories. He grit his teeth against the images still playing behind his closed eyes from his dream the night before. Frustrated and pained noises left Levi's throat as he fought to catch his breath, another wave assaulting him as the phantom feeling of chains grated against his wrists. The hounds shuffled closer, pressing against him from each side to hold him up as he swayed. His heart pounded, ears filled with a rushing sound as though he were standing in the center of the [Coire Bhreacain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Corryvreckan#/media/File:The_Corryvreckan_Whirlpool_-_geograph-2404815-by-Walter-Baxter.jpg%22) itself, Bhéara washing her plaid beside him. 

 

Even when Levi tried to open his eyes he found he could not see what was in front of him, images of long ago flooding his field of vision rapidly. Suddenly, he was no longer a young man looking out on the blooming heather as winter approached. Instead, he was a child, standing on his tip-toes to see over the window ledge. He peered out over the moors, an approaching spring humming through the highlands as warm sun beat down on him despite the snow that could still be seen on the higher hills around the clan's lands. The breeze was cool against his cheek, crisp air carried down from the mountains far in the distance ruffling his dark locks. He heard the soft singing of the village children playing outside the castle walls. He watched for a moment, enthralled by their harmony as they announced the coming of spring.

_Angus hath come--the young, the fair,_  
The blue-eyed god with golden hair--  
The god who to the world doth bring  
This morn the promise of the spring;  
Who moves the birds to song ere yet  
He bathe awaked the violet,  
Or the soft primrose on the steep,  
While buds are laid in lidded sleep,  
And white snows wrap the hills serene,  
Ere glows the larch's in vivid green  
Through the brown woods and bare. All hail!  
Angus, and may thy will prevail. . . .  
He comes . . . he goes. . . . And far and wide  
He searches for the Princess Bride. 

Levi, barely taller than the old hound, Rose, standing at his side, stretched to look down from the window in confusion as he heard the clatter of the villagers gathering in the center of the village. He was curious, a feeling tugging at his chest as he tried to make out the commotion below. They were crowded around a couple, a small bundle in the woman's arms as she rocked back and forth, smiling brightly as each person came up to poke and prod at the little package. Levi sucked in a breath as he heard a shrill cry, the woman beginning to bounce in earnest. He realized with a start that it was a person, an infant clearly new to this world and overwhelmed by the stimulation of being touched by so many foreign hands. Levi felt a roar grow within him, a desire to run down to the little thing and hide it away from so many prying eyes, comfort it and sooth its fears. Levi knew little about dynamics, barely enough to know that Kenny was an alpha, proud and strong and vicious, chief of the clan by right after a fight to the death many years before. He knew babies came from omegas and that scents helped him identify people, but he knew nothing of this instinctive pull to rush to another's aid.

Without being able to properly see, Levi felt anxious and climbed down, burying his hand in the fur at Rose's collar as she led him dutifully towards the villagers. Kenny had never let him leave the castle alone, always saying he didn't want Levi to be an embarrassment to him or get himself in trouble. Levi snuck through the corridor, footsteps quiet against the cool stone as they were muffled further by the click of Rose's claws. They made it to the gate, Levi's heart racing with the excitement of leaving the castle on his own. He frowned, staring at the closed gate preventing him from following the tug in his chest. He looked for another exit before he heard shuffling behind him. He feigned interest in a tapestry hung on the hallway wall, attempting to evade suspicion before he was grabbed by the collar and yanked towards the now opening gate. 

"Come with me, kid," Kenny said, voice gruff and unpleasant, his breath thick with ale. Levi cringed at the grip on his tunic as the dried blood still caked under Kenny's nails from his last expedition smeared into the fibers. Levi struggled against Kenny's roughness weakly, excited to be taken towards the gathering but frustrated with the lack of mobility. He paused as soon as they crossed onto the tamped down dirt leading to the center of the village. He heard the soft murmur and coos of the crowd and renewed his struggled against Kenny. 

The pull in his chest was back, throbbing but not painful. It urged him forward with so much strength that he ripped himself from Kenny's grip. He knew he would be in trouble later, a beating or worse coming his way for proving Kenny right that he would be an embarrassment, but something kept him going. Levi stumbled forward, his size an advantage when weaving between the knees of the villagers. The murmuring of the villagers stopped when they noticed Kenny, too afraid to insight his wrath by focusing their attention anywhere but on him. They stayed silent for what felt like minutes, Levi too preoccupied with that voice inside his head that kept shouting _Mine!_ to notice the unease permeating the air. 

Before he reached the inner edge of the circle, he froze, a scent he was not yet acquainted with paralyzing him on the spot. He was still young, just a toddler, and had only previously been able to pick out the scent of those he was related too. He recalled his mother's scent of soft lavender, pure and untainted, so unlike the villagers' scents which were muddled messes to his undeveloped nose. He had never known his father's scent, he was dead at the hands of a rival clan before Levi had even come into the world. His mother had only been gone a year, maybe less, and tears welled up in Levi's eyes at the memory that he was alone, left in the care of his uncle who would rather house a sheep he could slaughter for food that a useless little boy. 

A soft sound startled Levi from the memory. He inhaled instinctively, the rich but unfamiliar scent of rosemary and cinnamon coating the back of his tongue, eyes going glassy for just a moment. _Mine_ the voice inside him urged once more. Levi swallowed thickly before bolting into action, running towards what had now become a wail of agony from the baby still clutched in his parents' arms. The newborn had been almost silent up to that point, his nose scrunched against the onslaught of scents his eyes squeezed shut against the unfamiliar sight of so many people. His tiny hands gripped at the edge of the soft woolen blanket he was swaddled in, bracing against the March breeze. He had closed his eyes against the blinding sun, tiny little puffs of breath escaping his parted lips until everything had gone silent. 

Levi continued to press forward, reaching out as he neared the little bundle. He screamed as Kenny lifted him off the ground by his wrist, legs kicking in the air as he struggled against it. Kenny laughed, a dark and evil sound that when mixed with his belladonna scent caused Levi's gut to twist. Levi gulped as Kenny raised him higher until he was eye level with the grimacing alpha. 

"Already giving in to your instincts, runt?" Kenny sneered, jostling Levi to keep him from wiggling out of his grip as the newborn continued to wail behind them. "I told you to keep it under control. You're only 4 years old for Bhéara's sake. Control your self," Kenny berated him, but all Levi could think of was the pain shooting down his arm from being suspended and the throb in his head from the pained sounds coming from behind him. He took a deep breath, the rosemary scent still thick in the air lending him strength as he filled his lungs. 

Levi looked backward, his heart stuttering as he realized the newborn was watching him, eyes locked on his struggling form. He fought with more vigor as he hung from Kenny's outstretched arm, nearly landing a firm kick to the alpha's ribs. The baby's tiny hands unfurled from where they had gripped the swaddling blanket and with one final wail, stretched his arm out to reach towards Levi. Levi stopped fighting, focusing on his scent and holding the newborn's gaze. _Calm_ his inner voice chanted, soothing himself so he could produce more of his scent. His mother had always said his scent eased her mind, so he focused on the memories of her brushing his hair, playing with him in the moors and tending their garden. Levi wanted nothing more at that moment than to help the little one feel safe, protect the boy the way his mother had protected him. He smiled softly, watching as the baby relaxed back into its worried parents hold to Levi's subtle scent of chamomile and bergamot. He breathed a sigh of relief as the newborn's hand dropped, curling back into the blanket and his eyes slipped closed. 

"Come," Kenny ground out between clenched teeth. Levi growled as he was dragged back towards the castle, kicking and reaching out towards the sleeping bundle, watching as fat tears dripped down the newborn's pudgy cheeks even in sleep. Kenny pulled Levi back to the castle, his feet digging into the dirt of the path, trying to gain traction. At the top of the hill, Kenny paused before the gate. Whether with mercy or malice, Kenny allowed Levi one final glance back towards the square. The villagers had circled back around the baby, nearly blocking him from view. Levi watched as the newborn's eyes locked with his once more. 

Despite the large crowd surrounding the family, the infant was the only one Levi could see. Everyone else was a blur as Levi smiled softly, watching as a tiny hand reached out towards him, the newborn having woken at the absence of Levi's scent. Levi was not expecting his heart to shatter the way it did once he was dragged through the gate and lost sight of the boy. It caught him off guard, knocking the air out of his lungs as well as if he had been punched. 

Once inside, Kenny dragged Levi towards his room. He hung his head as he saw Kenny grab the metal chain from the wall, trying to focus on the scent of rosemary and cinnamon still coating his tongue as he sat on the cold stone floor, his back leaning against the hard leg of his bed. He was warm and pliant despite his position, comforted by the scent that still lingered in his nose. He barely noticed as Kenny wrapped the chain around his ankle and secured it to the loop in the wall.

"Stay here," Kenny said, "I have some visitors and I don’t want you to be more of an embarrassment than you already are."

Levi blinked up at him with unseeing eyes before nodding in compliance, any fight from earlier seeping out of his body. Rosemary and cinnamon still clung to him. The scent, unlike anything he had ever experienced, lingering on his skin despite having never made physical contact. It blossomed and undulated, swirling around Levi as though the child were right next to him. 

Levi opened his eyes as the shifting sun caused a sliver of light to pass over his face. He could hear the soft music from the village being carried up to his window on the wind. He realized he had never learned the child's name, nor that of his family and had no way to find him now that he was locked away. Levi's head lulled to the side, wishing he was down there with the little boy, to touch his soft skin and see his bright smile. He yearned to care for him, watch him grow and blossom into something more beautiful than he already was. Levi listened carefully, wary of any sounds that might indicate the baby's discomfort, desperate to protect for a reason lost on his young mind. When he heard nothing but the soft murmur from the adults, Levi buried his nose in the crook of his elbow, finally allowing himself to drift off to the soft scent that lingered there. 

Levi blinked his eyes open, chest heaving and the scent of rosemary and cinnamon still strong in his nose. He was no longer a little boy, nor was he in his castle chained to the bed that had been his for so many years. Instead, he found himself sitting in the ring of stones, kneeling with his head hanging down, his chin pressed tightly to his chest. He took a deep breath, yearning for the scent he remembered. At that moment, the scent that had awoken him on so many nights, the memory of which brought back feelings of comfort and wholeness, was gone. Instead, it was replaced with the simple smell of wet earth. 

"Eren," Levi whispered, the name he had never spoken before leaving his lips as though he had said it a thousand times. It echoed through the stone circle, an unnatural sound that jarred Levi to his core.

~~~

_Eren,_ the name echoed against the stones lining the room. Eren blinked his eyes open, only to be met with darkness, the cloth rough against his eyes, his lashes snagging on the fibers. He sniffed once, the scent of extinguished flame settling in his nose and drowning out the smell of damp earth beneath his toes. He sought out the voice, straining his ears but only hearing the soft _drip, drip_ of water trailing down the stone wall. His skin was feverish, covered in a light sheen of sweat that caused the light tunic draped around his body to stick uncomfortably to his back.

 _Eren, he's coming. You have to hold on,_ the voice whispered. It was soft, soothing and familiar in a way that healed his frayed nerves and allowed him to escape the darkness for just a moment. The voice, who had once said her name was Kuchel, held an urgency Eren had never heard in her gentle tone. She had never answered his questions as to why she contacted him, never told him more than her name. She often spoke words of comfort, her voice soothing him as he returned to the world from where his mind had escaped to endure the pain. She kept him grounded despite his helplessness, reminding him of his strength and courage.

Eren blinked again, the cloth scraping against the tops of his cheeks as his eyelashes fluttered. He felt the sweat trickle from his forehead, soaking the cloth and causing it to chafe. He sniffed the air again, trying to identify a corporeal form to accompany the voice that whispered his name in such a reverent tone. He knew he would not smell her; he never did. No matter how often she spoke, or for how long she stayed with him, the voice never had a physical manifestation with which to provide him the comfort he so desperately needed. 

"Hello?" Eren whispered back, eyes squeezed shut against the sorrow he felt well within him when only his own voice responded. It had been two days since he had seen another person and twice that long since he had heard another voice. For just a moment, Kuchel had given him hope that his murmured pleas to fairies of the _ghillie dhu_ for protection had been answered. He exhaled a breath, his last strand of hope leaving with it. 

Eren pressed his toes into the ground beneath him, lifting himself up to relieve some of the pressure on his muscular shoulders. The chains connecting his wrists to the ceiling clinked softly with the movement, a melody he had become all too familiar with in the last several years. The silence settled back around him, his fists clenching as he tried to hold back tears. 

"P--Please, Kuchel. Please keep talking. T--tell me you're still there," Eren whimpered, his voice cracking from disuse and lack of hydration. Kuchel often stayed with him while he recovered from whatever torture his captor had chosen for that session. It was unusual for her to come to him while he was still in chains, still blindfolded and left aching. His shoulders shifted and he hissed as the cloth of his tunic scraped against the still open wounds caused by his last whipping. His unnaturally quick healing had been of particular interest to his captor, who had made it his personal mission to see how long he could keep Eren's wounds open, how deep the cuts would have to be for him to still feel the sting the next day. Past the pain, Eren felt a tremor traveling up his spine as his thighs quaked, a sensation that should have elicited excitement but instead brought with it only dread. Eren realized with a start that his current situation was likely as close to recovery as he would get in the near future if the sharp pain in his gut was any indication. 

Eren's chin dipped forward under the weight of his exhaustion until he felt the burn of needles against his throat. His head shot up, tears pooling in the corners of his eyes as he swallowed carefully. He had spent two days in the collar so far. The sharp, short spikes fashioned to the deceptively soft leather pointed inward, scraping against his throat. Each time his weary head dipped forward, they began to pierce his skin, jolting him awake and further agitating his already raw scent glands. The tiny cuts healed over in moments, leaving tender flesh in their place.

Turning his head slightly, Eren scented the air, trying to determine if his captor was close and might be visiting soon. His nose scrunched as he caught the lingering tendrils of something herbal. He growled, chest vibrating at the faint smell of chamomile and bergamot. He shuddered, the memory of pain singing through his veins causing him to nearly lose his footing and sag in the chains, whimpers falling from his parted lips. Eren swallowed, careful of the spikes still biting at his throat as he reeled in his thoughts. He closed his eyes, focusing on the chemical undertones of the scent that proved to him it was not real, that the scent was fabricated instead of from the source, that there was no one there to hurt him. 

In some distant recess of his mind, he recalled that scent once bringing him comfort, soothing him into a restfulness he had not yet known at such a young age. Now, that scent was only associated with pain and abandonment. His captor had never truly explained why he inflicted such pain, other than faint murmurs under his breath. Eren had only caught a few words, but from the few times his captor had truly lost himself in the _experiments_ , becoming so consumed by Eren's screams of pain that he let his guard down and spoke freely, Eren knew the man was trying to break something called a 'soul bond.' 

In his most lucid moments, Eren could recall stories from when he was a boy. He thought a soul bond was rare, something sacred to be treasured and revered. Someone with a soul bond had a mate who was meant to be there, who would care for him and complete them in a way those with a standard bond would never experience. When he first heard he had a mate, he had been confused but hopeful, excited to make a new friend. Once he had become a prisoner, however, the knowledge that he had a mate outside the stone walls of his cell only caused him more agony. In his darkest moments, he loathed this _soul bond_ , this connection that was supposed to guide him and protect him but instead only gave his captor reason to keep him locked away. 

Eren closed his eyes, thankful that the lingering scent had settled and no longer seemed to be affecting him. He took a deep breath, the damp air and smell of earth grounding him against the scrape of the collar and the friction of the chains at his wrists. His stomach rumbled and an ache radiated from the base of his spine through his shoulders, causing him to tremble. He knew his captor would be coming soon, never having been left more than a few days without food and water. 

He was jolted from his thoughts by the harsh clang of keys against the metal door, his body curling inward despite the pull of chains and bite of spikes, a conditioned response to the horrors that so often came with the sound. The scrape of the key turning in the lock sent shivers down his spine, the chains vibrating with the intensity of his movements. 

Muffled footsteps moved through the opening. Eren's pulse thrummed in his ears, loud enough to drown out the clang of the heavy door locking in place. The man who had entered moved slowly, shuffling to the side of the room and setting a small satchel against it. Eren heard the scrape of wood against stone as the man dragged the small table across the floor. The man smelled of nothing, eliciting even greater fear from Eren. There was no way for him to identify what the man was thinking, no way for him to sense what might be coming. Eren blinked frantically, twitching his cheeks in an attempt to dislodge his blindfold, his inability to see and anticipate his tormentor's next move causing fear to crawl up his spine.

Ere heard the faint thump of metal on wood as the man began unpacking the satchel, the clink of metal as instruments were laid out. He heard the shuffle of fabric, twisting his head and trying to discern what was happening around him. There was nothing, a silence so complete descending over the room that Eren thought for a moment he may have lost hearing. He jolted when the sharp, clear sound of rushing water and waves crashing pierced the silence. He strained his ears, trying to identify the direction from which the sound was coming, only to realize it was his own pulse. 

Suddenly, the blindfold was ripped off, taking with it some of his hair that had tangled in its fibers as it was removed. Eren kicked, struggling against his chains like a wounded cub caught in a trap. He screamed, crying for his mother, for his mate, for anyone that would protect him from the monster before him. Eren calmed for just a moment as the man with long, disheveled brown hair took a step back to observe him. The man made a humming sound, looking down at the instruments spread out on the table. The collar prevented Eren from getting a good look, but he knew there was nothing pleasant waiting for him there. 

He began to struggle again as the man came closer, scents still absent and confusing to his instincts. He held his breath is the man reached a hand up towards Eren's wrist. Eren sighed in relief as a key was fitted into the lock, the soft click finally letting his arm fall to his side. He was so weak he could barely lift his hand up to rub his other wrist as it was released as well. He stood for just a moment, toes curling into the dirt floor before his legs finally gave out. He slumped to the floor, legs splayed at odd angles as he tried to draw in on himself. He whimpered quietly as he buried his face into the dirt floor, letting his tears flow freely.

He received no comfort, no kind words to ease the pain that radiated up his spine and through his fingers, the pins and needles in his limbs making it difficult to move into a seated position. His lungs heaved in gulps of air, finally released from the strain of the chains. The man stood above him, looking down at Eren with a calculating gaze. Eren swallowed thickly, fear permeating his scent. 

"So, Eren," the man said, voice gruff and harsh in the otherwise quiet room. " _Cináed_ is nearly here," the man said again, finally meeting Eren's gaze, his dull brown eyes seeming to soak up the light from the small candle he had brought into the room. 

Eren whimpered at the word, not knowing what it meant other than approaching pain and loss, watching as the man opened a small box and removed a cloth mask. Eren's eyes widened, his scent spiking with terror as he willed his limbs to work, scrabbling back on the floor until his back hit the wall. The pitiful sounds Eren made worked themselves into a higher pitch as the scent of chamomile and bergamot invaded Eren's nose. His captor shook his head, sighing as he moved closer to Eren whose toes dug into the dirt floor, trying to press himself further into the wall. 

"P-Please," Eren begged, voice hoarse and still resonating with the whimper caught in his chest. His heart was pounding, panic building as the scent drew nearer. He tried to focus on the undertones, the subtle hints that told him this scent was not his mate's, but he failed. He clenched his teeth, foam building in the corner of his mouth as his shrieks grew more frantic. 

"Eren," the man said, no fondness in his tone as he addressed the young man, "you know we can't stop, not when we are so close." He stepped closer, Eren's eyes darting around frantically as he realized there was no way to move away. 

The mask was fashioned around Eren's face, the scent sending a shot of arousal through his body before his conditioning took over. Drool seeped through the cloth, soaking it until it clung to Eren's face. He thrashed against the wall, nearly healed wounds on his wrists reopening and the spikes of his collar biting at his scent glands. His screams grew in volume until they vibrated through the stone, clattering the chains still hanging from the ceiling. 

The man nodded, satisfied with his work before turning to leave. He paused at the door, looking over his shoulder as Eren writhed, spitting and howling, unseeing as he was overcome with terror. He tried to back away from the scent, momentarily lost to reason, convinced that whoever it belonged to would only bring him pain or abandon him to torture at the hands of his captor. Eren's fingers scraped at the stone, seeking purchase to further his escape but leaving only bloody trails on the walls. 

"I'll be back in a few hours when it's time to begin," the man said and closed the heavy door behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for your incredible support of the last chapter. I was thrilled to read your thoughts and hear your excitement :P. Thank you again for standing by me as this story progresses and as always, please feel free to kudo or comment to let me know what you are thinking!
> 
> Thank you to the incredible [WriterfortheTylwythTeg](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriterfortheTylwythTeg/pseuds/WriterfortheTylwythTeg) and [Nutternut](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nutternut) for beta-ing the first iteration of this chapter and their wonderful suggestions on how to improve it. 
> 
> Should you have any questions or concerns, feel free to leave a comment or reach out on [tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/eveningstargazer).


	3. Sacrifice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am overwhelmed with the response to this story and am thrilled that y'all are enjoying it, it has been so motivating. Thank you for your patience while I played around with Kinktober. I will be trying to get back on a somewhat regular schedule moving forward. Feel free to come yell at me on [tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/eveningstargazer)

Levi made his way back to the village slowly, his feet feeling heavier the further away from the stone circle he retreated. His mind was hazy, the name still ringing in his ears and blocking out the sound of the forest as he trudged forward. When he reached the edge of the forest he paused, looking out over the rolling moors. Agnes and Mother Bhéara had fought long and hard during the harvest, their storms keeping the land fertile late into the season. The air felt strange, the veil between worlds thin as the fog rolled in. Levi could feel the whisper of spirits swirling around him as he turned his back on the forest, clinging to him as though beckoning him to return to the damp darkness of its foliage. 

In the distance, Levi saw the Samhuinn fire burning atop the hill at the edge of the village, its flames licking high into the sky and the cloud of smoke ascending into the heavens. It would burn for days if they let it; Levi had cut most of the wood himself, careful to choose hearty and fragrant stock, unwilling to risk bringing misfortune on the clan in exchange for laziness. It was still early, the sun not yet set on the last day of the harvest. Levi took a deep breath, the smell of juniper burning in the pyre carried to him on the crisp breeze. Shaking off the tendrils of the spirit realm he still felt clinging to him, Levi took his final step out of the forest and into the moor. It was as though the veil had lifted; it was even earlier than he had anticipated, the sun still high in the bright blue sky and the chatter from the village loud and lively as it drifted towards him. 

Levi made his way towards the castle, lighter on his feet without the weight of the spirit realm keeping him trapped in the darkness. A knawing unease settled in his bones, however, causing him to turn his gaze back to the forest. His eyes narrowed, searching the edge of the forest for the tiniest flit of movement. Something or someone was there, watching him, caught between this realm and the next. He waited, still and silent for several moments but could see nothing, only the gentle sway of heather and the dancing leaves at the edge of the forest. 

Once back in the village, Levi was immediately set to work. Hange ran up to him, laden with bowls of mountain ash she had gathered from the base of the pyre to spread across the doors. Her smile faltered when she caught up to Levi, the dark circles under his eyes evidence of his sleepless night. She scanned his form, checking for any injury, knowing he would never point it out on his own. When she found none, she passed a bowl to Levi, her ecstatic smile returning as her mate strolled up beside her. 

"Levi," Petra said softly, smiling at him with concern but absent the pity some villagers would cast his way. 

"Evening, Petra," Levi responded, voice tired and rough with disuse. He watched as Hange drew Petra in close, gently caressing the omega's neck with the scent gland at her wrist. Petra nearly melted at the touch, her eyes fluttering shut and her delicate features relaxing. A warm dusting of pink spread across her plump cheeks as Hange nuzzled into her soft hair. It was then that Levi picked up the light fragrance of peach in the air, the sticky sweetness causing him to crinkle his nose. Hange caught the change in Levi's expression, a knowing look crossing her face before she spoke up. 

"You don't have to say anything," Hange said, trailing her fingertips up and down Petra's spine, "she didn't want to miss the festival just because of the cináed." Levi nodded, watching as Petra closed her eyes against the heat that was clearly burning within her. It hadn't peaked yet; she wouldn't have been able to stand with two alpha's so close if it had. Petra's lips parted as she tilted her head towards Hange's neck, breathing in her mate's scent through her mouth until it coated her tongue. 

"Shh," Hange soothed when Petra's breathing picked up, their bodies responding to one another. Hange turned a crooked grin to Levi who was still staring at the two of them. She watched him for a moment, allowing Petra to paw at her loose fitting clothes before she calmed again. Petra's eyes clearing now that she was finally coated in Hange's scent. 

"You know we'd share the cináed with you," Petra said, "Anything to keep you from becoming a ruguire." She reached out to take Levi's hand, her hot palm burning in his own. Any other alpha would be overcome by the scorching touch. Even Hange, who had always been a little odd with their instinctual responses was getting antsy, but Levi felt nothing, just appreciation for the depth of his friends' offer. 

"And _you_ know it wouldn't work," Levi responded, a sad smile crossing his face as he let Petra's hand drop from his, staring back towards the forest as he felt another tug at his gut. He shook his head, turning back to his two friends. 

"Regardless, we have work to do," he said, lifting the bowl of ash as a reminder. Hange and Petra nodded, knowing when it was more important to drop the subject than to push. 

Levi swept through the village, anointing each door and muttering a prayer of protection at each threshold. He had always found it odd, the way the villagers looked forward to him saying the prayer for their home at the close of the harvest. It had been the tradition since his mother, his duty since her passing, one thing Kenney hadn't thought to disrupt after his mother's death. 

By the time Levi was done, Hange had caught up to him, Petra clinging closely to her. 

"I took care of the cattle. You've got the sheep though," Hange said, giggling as Levi grimaced. It wasn't that he hated sprinkling the sheep with wine. The musky scent of the fermented grapes and wool was pleasant, but the sheep never wanted to leave him be, always bleating and bumping against him as though he had treats.

It was only when he heard the shouts of the clan at the entrance to the castle that he found the strength to break away from the flock. Still smelling faintly of wine and earth, Levi picked his way through the village, the pyre casting a warm glow and dancing shadows across his path. Once at the gate, Levi was met with the sight of Erwin, clad in the colors of the clan, his sharpened dirk clasped tightly in his hand as he led the cow chosen for the sacred feast to the base of the pyre. The clan gathered, the rhythmic hum of the ritual chant drowning out the roar of the pyre and the howl of the wind as it blew across the highlands. As the sun set, the chant grew in volume, the voices of the clan joining as one as they invoked the fae and drew on the spirit realm as the veil was spread to its thinnest. 

Levi felt a tingling at his spine, a pull towards the forest stronger than before. As much as he felt the need to turn on his heel and run to the stones, he had an obligation to his clan. He fought the pull, rejoining the chant as Erwin slaughtered the cow. The clan went silent as Erwin worked, handing off the pieces as he butchered it expertly. Once the meat had been divided among the members, Erwin straightened from his crouch, standing and addressing the group with a booming voice. 

"Bliadhna mhath ur dhuit. _A good New Year to you,_ " Erwin bellowed, lifting his _cuach_ of whiskey towards the risen moon, the amber liquid sloshing over the edge of the vessel. 

The clan shouted in unison, voices loud and their own whiskey raised, "Mar sin duit fhein is moran diu. _The same to you, and many of them._ "

After the toast, each family took a branch from the pyre with which to light their own hearth. As the clan dispersed, Levi and Erwin made their way towards Hange's. They knew they wouldn't be able to stay long, just enough to light the fire and share a quick meal. Petra's heat was growing in intensity as they made their way to the intricate hut Hange had built herself. It stood out from the others, the staw woven in such a way as to create elaborate designs on the outer walls. The rooms and windows within had been laid out with particular attention to the angles of the sun and moon, nary a candle or lantern required except in poor weather. 

Once inside Hange tended to Petra, curling her into the nest of soft furs piled on the large, deep wooden bench in the center of the gathering room. Once she was settled, the hearth was lit, the flames sparking from the ritual branch and bathing the inhabitants in a warm glow. Erwin set to cooking the flank he had brought for them over the growing flames as Hange flitted about, gathering tankards and plates. 

Levi lowered himself to the floor, sitting next to the flames with his hands clenched in fists atop his thighs as they shook from the strain of staying still. His eyes darted about the cabin, unable to focus as the smell of syrupy peaches and buttermilk wafted through the air. Erwin cleared his throat, clearly effected by Petra's scent but in proper control of his instincts. Levi was another matter entirely, the scent pushing him away rather than drawing him in as it would any other unmated alpha. The tug in his chest grew in intensity, a sharp pain as though a string drawing tight around his heart. 

Hange cast him a knowing look, watching as he pressed his lips tightly together, avoiding the scent which permeated the cabin. This was not the first time they had stayed together so close to Petra's heat, they were used to the scent by now, love and friendship between them keeping them in check. Something was different, however, the syrupy scent dripping down Levi's throat like acid, wrong, like poison in his viens. 

Levi stood, pacing across to the other side of the room and leaning his back against the wall. The flames from the hearth were hot on his face, even from across the open room. He felt the heat crawling up his spine, an emptiness in his core that left him trembeling. It wasn't until Hange's head whiped around to see him and Erwin's gaze locked with his own that he realized he was making a sound. Not just any sound but an omegan whine, screaming through his chest and ripping itself from his throat without his permission. 

Erwin was next to him in an instant, his eyes wide and fearful at the sound coming from his closest friend. Petra's own whine rang through the hut in response, her desire to comfort a fellow omega forcing the sound from her. But there was no other omega, only a confused alpha who's heart was racing and instincts calling for him to run to a mate he didn't know how to find. Realizing that the heat crawling through him was not his own, the pain burning at his core not of his own body's making, he ran from the hut, speeding over the moor towards the forest without a backwards glance. 

Once at the edge of the forest, Levi made his way towards the circle of stones. As he stood in the center, a feeling of home he had not experienced since the death of his mother overwhelmed him, caressed the bare and chilled skin of his arms, surrounded him in peace and tranquility, washing away the phantom heat burning through him. He breathed deep, the scent of damp earth, life, and snow filling his nose and grounding him. He dropped his chin to his chest and squeezed his eyes shut, reaching for the fae. He clutched the piece of deer antler given to him by his mother just before her death tightly to his chest. Many nights as a child had been spent whispering into the bone, praying for relief from his uncle's neglect, praying to his mother to return to him, praying for that little boy who had made him feel so at home but had disappeared from his life forever.

_Màthair, treòraich mi a-nis agus coimhead air a 'bhòidhchead a chruthaich thu._

_Tha mi air chall._

_Chan e mo chridhe mo chuid fhìn._

_Thoir dhomh stiùireadh airson an leth eile agam._

_Mother, guide me now as I look upon the beauty you have created._

_I am lost._

_My heart is not my own._

_Guide me to my other half._

__

As soon as the words left his lips, Levi was overcome with an urge he had never before experienced, a desire to create something he had heard before on the battlefield, in the village, and sometimes on the open moors. His lungs filled with air and in a matter of moments, he released an alpha's call, a roar of claim and need and desire, of hope and promise. Levi's voice cracked as he growled, the sound different and more complex than the one he released during a battle or a duel. A warmth and richness filled the notes, the deep baritone resonating in Levi's chest, through his bones, and into the ground. The forest went silent, a reverent hush lying like a blanket over the dense foliage. The earth beneath Levi's feet pulsed in time with his call, a soft glow gathering at his feet and spreading through the circle the louder his call became.

Levi's head flung back, a tortured sound ripping itself from his throat. He spat and roared, the sound growing higher in pitch into something desperate and pained, wounded but still poised to fight. Levi paused, listening for a response he knew he would not receive before starting again, the notes low and strong enough to cause the forest to tremble. He halted the moment he heard it, a soft whine, muted and muffled by distance, but there and alive and calling for him. The sound cut off abruptly, leaving Levi reeling and searching for the sound. Levi called again, begging for a response, the call desperate and tinged with despair. 

_He hears you,_ the forest whispered, Levi's eyes widening as a [dark figure ](https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/12733609_1292407894118876_4869748549637029520_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=e7c0737f17f94322aff43f19899c735a&oe=5C81FF9A) stepped into the circle of stone.

"Wh--?" Levi began, taken aback by the woman before him. She seemed familiar, a shadow of someone he once knew. 

_He hears you, but they won't let him speak, won't let him call to you,_ the figure continued, her mouth unmoving despite the clear words echoing in Levi's mind. She stepped closer as the moon seemed to frame her crown of twigs and leaves. Her clothes were ragged, torn and sewn back together with vines and stems. Her eyes were black as the night of the new moon, her hair long and just as dark, swirling behind her as she walked. Her skin was as pale as Levi's but devoid of warmth and laced with tendrils of black, as though tattooed with the night itself. She was a Ghillie Dhu, a fairy of the forest but not whole, ethereal in a way that made Levi believe she was now more spirit than fae. 

Levi watched warily as she flickered in place, her physical manifestation holding on tightly as the veil undulated around them. When she turned her face up to the moon, allowing its light to bathe her features, Levi realized like a punch to his heart that the figure was his mother.

" Màthair?" Levi questioned, all force behind his voice gone, the sound shredded and vulnerable with the strain of his calls. 

_Mo laochain. My little hero,_ Kuchel responded, soft and melancholy, stepping forward to close the distance between herself and Levi. She lifted her hand to his cheek, the cool brush of her fingertips causing Levi to jolt before he relaxed and nuzzled into the touch. He could barely feel her, more of a brush of sensation than any real pressure. He let out a soft sigh, trying to pick out her lavender scent but only smelling earth and forest. 

_You know I'm not here mo leanbh, my child,_ Kuchel whispered, pressing her face to Levi's chest. He wondered at how small she was, knowing he was by no means of standard height and yet she barely came up to his shoulder. He had always seen her as so strong, larger than life through to the day she died. 

Levi's jaw stiffened as he recalled the harsh whispers of his mother and uncle so many years ago. He had huddled by the hearth as they spoke in the kitchen, the crackle of the fireplace doing nothing to stop his keen ears from picking out words like _coming_ and _court_. Fear had gripped his tiny chest, a toddler no more than three, but with the understanding that the unseelie court, the _Sluagh sidhe_ as they were otherwise known, must be near. The evil fae who took humans for sport, mutilating their souls and twisting their fates had not been seen in the village for generations. Levi heard Kuchel blame Kenney for inciting the court's wrath, for wanting glory and riches over the health and wellbeing of his people. Torment brokered torment and the Sluagh had been drawn to the brutality of the clan, to the blood that stained their clothes when they returned from a raid, and to the gory trophies Kenney kept on display within the castle walls. 

Kuchel had not been upset, however, her voice calm and even as she explained something to Kenny about the time being perfect, the veil lifting and the fae willing to make a deal. Kenney had remained indifferent, mumbling along with her titering, only speaking up when she began to mutter a prayer. Levi had found out many years later that his mother had bound Kenny with fae magic, a blood promise to ensure Levi would always have food and lodging. Kenney had never let Levi forget that it was only due to this that he remained alive, only the poison that would course through Kenney's veins should he break the oath, keeping him from tossing Levi out into the cold. 

_Do you remember that night?_ Kuchel asked, drawing Levi from his memories before plunging him back in. He nodded, his heart clenching as he recalled the frantic speed with which his mother had carried him to the stone circle in which he now stood. Her cold hand grasped his, trying to will what little energy remained from the moon as it shown into the clearing into her touch so that Levi could feel the slightest comfort. 

_Do you know why I left you?_ she asked. Levi's face contorted into a grimace. He had been too young to understand, knowing only that she had cooed to him in a soft voice, promising he would be whole again. She had held him close as she muttered the prayer, strings of words spoken too fast and with a lilt that he had trouble understanding.

_Tha mi a 'gairm air na sìthichean, mo bhràithrean agus mo pheathraichean._

_Gluais air frith-rathad agus fosgail na cluasan agad gu mo phleas_

_Thoir air ais leth eile mo mhic_

_Thoir a chridhe air ais agus dèan e slàn a-rithist e._

_Chan e an sabaid a th 'ann._

_Airson seo, bidh mi a 'malairt m' anam anns an àite càraid aige._

_I call upon the fae, my brothers and sisters._

_Clear a path and open your ears to my plea_

_Return my son's other half_

_Return his heart and make him whole once more._

_This fight is not his._

_For this, I trade my soul in his twin flame's place._

The ground had glowed beneath them, Kuchel's grip tightening on a tiny Levi as pain ripped through her body. He had whimpered, burying his face in her chest as she trembled. When her heart had calmed she had risen from the forest floor and slowly carried Levi back to the village.

 _It worked, you know,_ Kuchel whispered. Levi hiccupped, drawing himself out of his memories to gaze upon the woman before him. Her skin was drawn tight, lips pale and thin, her cheeks hollow and shadowed. He reached out to touch her, his hand trembling as it rested upon her cheek. There was no warmth there despite her physical manifestation, nothing except her voice in his head and the vision of her before him to prove she was there. 

_I'm sorry it took me so long to see you,_ she continued, her lips curling in a soft smile as she gazed upon her grown son, _you are so beautiful, mo bhobain, my little one. It was worth the sacrifice._ Levi blushed, his eyes falling to the ground as his mother continued to appraise him. 

"I can't find him," Levi whispered, desperation and hopelessness lacing his voice, his heart shattering as he heard the words spoken out loud. 

_I know, Levi,_ Kuchel soothed, placing her hand atop Levi's and pressing it into his chest. _You feel him though, don't you?_ Levi nodded, his free hand clutching at his shirt as a pained smile bloomed across his lips. 

_He is beautiful, like you, mo luran_ she continued, giggling as Levi sputtered. Her face fell after a moment, recalling Eren's state when she had left him moments before hearing Levi's prayer. _You have to find him, Levi. They are hurting him, trying to tear him from you. He is strong though, so strong and brave._

A low growl full of fury echoed in the circle as Levi listened to Kuchel's words. He had known something was wrong, had felt the phantom pain and chains, but had dismissed the urgency and importance of the sensations. His eyes darted around the circle, as though will-o'-the-whisps would appear to guide him to his mate. His gaze settled on Kuchel once more, molten silver begging her to lead him. 

_You know I can't, Levi,_ she answered sadly, _The village has grown strong in Kenny's absence. Its celebration is the only reason I can speak to you now and maintain this form._

Levi's growl grew deeper as his inner alpha berated him for failing to protect his mate, for being a disappointment just like Kenney always said he would be, for abandoning that which his mother had sacrificed herself for. 

_You are not a disappointment,_ Kuchel said, dragging Levi from his downward spiral to focus on what would come next, _He needs you to be strong for him so that he can be strong too._

"I'm trying," Levi said, schooling his voice into something less viscous than the wrath he felt swirling within him, "but, I don't know how to start."

 _Seek out the mnathan neig,_ Kuchel said, _if you can catch the washerwoman off guard, she will allow you to play her game._ Levi nodded, having heard the legends of the creatures that washed the clothes of those fated to die. It was said that if you approached her before she catches your scent she will answer three questions, but if you are caught, you would turn to stone. 

Before Kuchel could speak again, a sharp pain radiated from the base of Levi's spine, his legs giving out beneath him. He gasped for breath, clawing at the soft earth beneath his hands as he choked back sobs of pain. His heart clenched, knowing now with utter certainty that this was the pain of his mate, a pain he could neither soothe nor prevent. He doubled over further, the pain coursing through him before Kuchel's cool fingertip touched his temple.

 _I've blocked it for just a moment,_ Kuchel said as she crouched next to Levi's huddled form. _I can't hold it for long but you need to think clearly. You remember what I told you?_ she asked, stroking a hand up Levi's spine to drive away the pain still lingering in his bones. Levi nodded, not trusting his voice to respond, shaking his head more violently to clear the fog of pain and despair that had washed over him. Kuchel smiled down at him, something sad and heavy hiding behind her eyes. 

Within moments the pain returned, Kuchel letting out a breath as the last of her power left her. She kissed Levi's forehead, whispering her love and affection into his raven locks as her form began to dissipate with the setting of the moon. Levi reached out for her hand, grasping at nothing as the last wisps left the circle. He rose to his feet, stretching his spine as the pain settled deeper in his bones. He steeled himself against it, setting his jaw as he made for the edge of the stones. 

When his foot crossed the barrier, he realized what he thought had been the full brunt of the pain was merely a shadow filtered through the veil. He roared, the sound ripped from his throat as his bones burned within him. He felt as though he were split in two, ripped apart by some phantom force. His scent glands burned as though branded with hot iron yet he felt frozen, chilled to the core though burning at the same time. It was then that he remembered what Hange had said, the old word used for omegas and their heat, _cináed_ , born of flames. The realization froze Levi in place, turned his gut until he was emptying his stomach on the forest floor: Eren was deep in heat, and there was someone else there with him, someone who was causing harm to his omega in such a vulnerable state. 

With renewed vigor and a terrifying roar that shook the forest, Levi set off at a run towards the rivers of the highland, set on finding the mnathan neig and bending her to his will. He resolved to beat her at her game; she would answer his questions and lead him to his mate. The branches sliced at his skin as he ran through the forest, the blood trickling across pale skin going unnoticed as he traversed the rough terrain unwavering in his resolve to find his mate and rip those who harmed him to shreds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to the incredible [WriterfortheTylwythTeg](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriterfortheTylwythTeg/pseuds/WriterfortheTylwythTeg) and [Nutternut](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nutternut) for allowing me to rant about my terrible ideas. 
> 
> Should you have any questions or concerns, feel free to leave a comment or reach out on [tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/eveningstargazer).
> 
> Credit for the incredible image for Kuchel goes to [Scaredy Cat on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/Scaredy-Cat-229305563762453/)


	4. Rend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember that tag about graphic depictions of violence? Yeah, super big warning for this chapter. 
> 
> Also VERY important--while there is no non-con intercourse in this fic, this chapter does include non-con object insertion (akin to a medieval pear). I will include a summary of this chapter at the beginning of next chapter should you feel the need to skip it.
> 
> Thank you for heeding the tags.

_Eren! Eren!_ Kuchel screamed, her voice cutting through the fog threatening to consume Eren's mind. Eren blinked slowly, his lashes fanning against the mask still fashioned around his face, the scent of chamomile and bergamot permeating each breath, coating his tongue, filling his lungs. He smiled softly, warmth and comfort and something fluttering in his belly distracting him from the ache in his bones. 

_Eren_ Kuchel urged, her voice wet with tears of fear and worry _Eren, you have to stay with me. You have to get ready. He is coming._ Eren hummed, sagging in his bonds as he imagined his mate tearing through the compound, ripping apart his captors and making his way to the locked cell.

_Eren, please. He's almost here. You need to wake up,_ Kuchel coaxed, her words becoming more urgent with each passing moment. It was then that Eren heard it, the movement just outside his cell, the clank of keys against the steel door. He stiffened, realization spreading through him that this was not his mate but something far worse, but the warmth licking up his spine made it difficult to move. Eren took a deep breath, trying to get enough air through the mask to will his body to prepare for what might come through the door. His blindfold robbed him of his ability to gauge the threat upon entrance, having to rely instead on sounds and memories of previous _experiments_ to feed his caution. 

Eren tugged at the chains, confused as to why he would be visited during a heat. For every previous cycle, ever since his presentation at 18 nearly two years prior, he had been abandoned during his heat, chained up and unable to provide himself any relief. Left alone to cope with the burning fire at his core, his body called for a mate that never responded. His first heat had lasted nearly 3 weeks, body screaming as slick pooled between his thighs, begging his mate to come to him, increasing its efforts with each unanswered call. After it was over he had thanked whatever spirit had kept it away for so long, delaying his presentation many years past the typical age, but the spirits had not remained kind. Since then, every moon cycle brought with it the same torture: the abandonment, the longing, and the fire in his veins. 

_Eren!_ Kuchel shouted one final time, drawing Eren out of his mind before a set of heavy footsteps drowned out her cries. Eren tilted his head, movements lethargic and listless as he slumped in his chains, the scent of the mask still lulling him into complacency. He barely registered the scrape of wood against stone as the table was dragged closer, nor the clank of heavy implements being dropped upon its surface. 

Eren felt his bindings shift, his body hoisted higher as the chains linked to the shackles at his ankles were fashioned to opposite walls of the cell. He thrashed weakly, body somehow content with being spread open in such a way. He fought against it, willed himself to force his legs closed as though he knew it was not for those in the room to see. Eren thrashed as his mask was removed, the last piece of comfort he had in his prison. For a brief moment, he smelled nothing, a sterile environment from which he could pick out no distinguishing scent, no identifying information about the person before him. Within moments, however, a new mask was fashioned around his mouth and nose, this one sending a terrifying chill straight to Eren's core. 

Suddenly, a dark, low rumble sounded in Eren's ears, made all the more frightening by the scent of fury he sucked in from the mask. The scent invaded his lungs, the bitterness of petitgrain overpowering the chamomile that had brought him comfort. The roar grew louder, full of warmth and protection, desire and claim. His visitor did not seem to notice the sound, much more focused on preparing the room. Something about the call stoked a fire in Eren's gut, a yearning that pulled at his chest and brought tears to his eyes. He felt empty, both in body and soul as the sound rattled through his mind. The call grew desperate, climbing in pitch until it was nearly a wail. Eren cried in return, unaware he was even making a sound until a large hand closed around his throat, squeezing until the noise was cut off, an odd, sharp pain ripping through Eren's throat as fingers dug into his scent glands. 

"Don't even think about calling to him," his visitor growled. The man's grip tightened minutely before releasing. It was not the voice of his captor, that man seemed to disappear whenever Eren's heat approached. Eren gulped down air, choking on the bitter scent still invading his lungs. He couldn't make sense of what was happening. The desperate yearning of his mate's call, the anger and disappointment, hatred and disgust in his mate's scent that filled his lungs, and the pain of fingers that were not his mate's wrapped securely around his throat warred within his mind, fighting to make their meanings known. 

Eren heard the call again, this time frantic, lost, and full of despair. He tried to respond, the air scraping through his vocal cords but producing no sound, his voice stolen by the man before him. The man chuckled as Eren tried to cry out, to tell his mate that he was hurting, that Eren needed him desperately.

"I can smell you, ya know," Eren's visitor said, voice gruff and so much closer than Eren had expected, "Smell the want on you, the desperation. Don't you think he would stop me if he cared?" 

_Mate doesn't want us,_ a darkness whispered inside Eren, _Mate doesn't care if we get hurt._

Eren tried to focus, to find the tendril of chamomile that might soothe his frayed nerves, to ground him and renew his hope. Instead, he found only anger and disgust. Eren slumped in his chains, frustrated and confused as he tried to understand what he had done to displease his mate. Why he was appearing now after so many heats left alone. The first strike of the flogger to his back had him reeling with surprise and pain. The lashings continued, ignorant of the way the tails wrapped around his sides and bit into the tender flesh at his ribs. The blows reigned down as Eren sobbed, body writhing in an attempt to escape the harsh blows. His body gave him no reprieve, heat raging through him, heat cramps wracking his abdomen as the blows continued. 

After a particularly heavy blow, Eren was given a moment to recover, the visitor halting and taking a few steps away. Eren could hear the faint clack of flint and soft shuffling before the mask around his nose and mouth was removed. He sucked in a deep breath, hopeful that the smell of revulsion had been a mistake and he would be met with the smell of his mate, ready and willing to ease his pain. Instead, the same scent of displeasure filled his nose as though the mask were still affixed to his face. He whimpered, mind and body in tatters, held together only by his sheer will to survive. 

Another hit, this time with a sharp sting and ripping of flesh, landed against Eren's shoulder, the tiny spike at the end of each tail, no thicker than a needle, prinking his skin and slicing through it as it was dragged with the force of the blow. Several more hits, another pause, faint shuffling, and the click of flint before the process began again. Eren cried out, voice still strained and broken as he begged for the pain to stop. 

_Won't save us,_ the darkness whispered _too weak for mate to want us._ Eren choked back his next sob, hands clenching into fists as he steeled himself against the pain. He coughed, concealing his whimpers behind the sound as the earthy scent of sage joined the rest swirling in the room. The petitgrain receded from the familiar scents of bergamot and chamomile. The more Eren remained silent, the more the scent of sage mingled pleasantly with the others, telling him he had done well, that his mate was pleased. It was easier to take the blows after that, knowing that this was what he was meant to do, that this was what could satisfy his mate. 

Eren shut his eyes and counted the blows. Twenty, thirty, sixty, one hundred strikes and his mate's pleased scent had permeated every nerve of his body. _Mate is happy now_ the darkness within him comforted as the red rivulets of blood dripped down his back and mixed with the slick that drenched his thighs. Eren was silent as the room grew quiet, his visitor having pulled away after the hundredth blow. Eren was thankful for the reprieve as he was lowered to the ground from his chains. He sniffed the air, searching for any indication of who had removed his chains, where his mate had gone, but the scent faded quickly, replaced by the faint smell of smoke. 

Eren's mind was numb, confused and wondering why he had been left alone once more. His hands and knees scraped against the stone floor as he tried to get his bearings, limbs trembling as blood flow was restored. A fresh wave of heat overtook him, his arms giving out beneath him and pitching him forward. He was barely able to slow himself enough to keep his chin from hitting forcefully into the stone, scraping his hands instead as they padded his fall. 

Eren writhed on the floor, limbs liquid as his heat washed through him, begging for his mate to return, to bring him relief. The visitor's grip on his limbs was like fire, wrong, branding him with hands that were not his mate's. Eren trembled, trying to call for help but no sound escaped, his healing much slower as his body was busy coping with the heat raging through him and the torn flesh of his back. Without the use of his voice, his body tried to call out in another way. Eren sucked in a sharp breath as he felt another pulse of slick within him, clenching frantically to keep it inside, desperate to hide his fear from his visitor, to remain good for his mate. He whimpered as another thick rivulet slipped passed his softening entrance, the heat keeping him loose and ready now that the beatings had ceased. 

Eren heard the scuff of boots against the stone and the heavy clank of the door as the room was vacated. He was alone, the soft scent of his mate's contentment fading into nothingness. He felt around, knocking into the table legs until he found the corner of the room and huddled there, body trembling from the heat raging through him. He thought to remove his blindfold, to afford himself a reprieve from the darkness but thought better of it. The last time his captor had found him without it on he had nearly felt skinned alive from the lashing he had received. It had taken nearly a month for the wounds to heal, even with his advanced capabilities. 

Eren lowered himself to the floor until the cool stone pressed against his heated cheek, squeezing his eyes shut against the sharp pain at the base of his spine and the way arousal coursed through his veins without any hope of relief. His hands, free for the first time during a heat cycle, felt foreign as they pillowed beneath his head as if they were fighting to reach and pull and clutch and grip. Eren resisted, trying to calm the ache in his bones and the emptiness in his soul. He called for Kuchel, a low, desperate whine that squeaked past his tattered vocal cords but received no response from her, just a low rumble, like thunder rolling in over the moors far in the distance.

~~~

It took nine days. Nine days with only the dry loaf of bread and a bowl of water that had been left behind to help him through his heat before his cell door opened again, his heat nearing its final days but still burning in his gut. Eren heard a chuckle from his visitor, goosebumps forming on his skin in response, having barely noticed when the man had returned. Eren heard the scrape of iron against the wooden table, something heavy and solid being lifted from its surface.

"I can smell the slick on you, calling for an alpha that will never come," the visitor sneered, voice right next to Eren's ear as hot, acrid breath washed across his neck, "He doesn't want you, doesn't need you. You're nothing to him." Eren shuddered, the proximity of the other man to his scent glad making him more nervous and jumpy than the prospect of another punishment. 

Eren tried to sort through the words, _alpha_ and _slick_ bringing a twinge of recognition to the front of his mind, a memory from before he had been locked away but far removed and distant. He could recall with some effort his early childhood teachings of dynamics, recalled his mother teaching him about alphas and omegas, ancient stories of the fae creating perfect mates. 

Eren drifted through memories, tales of love and protection, comfort and warmth. He took a deep, shuddering breath, searching for any scent of his mate, only to have the mask fixed around his face, drenched in disgust and displeasure once more. His mind reached for the comfort in the scent, a familiarity he could not place twisting in his gut. _He's coming_ Eren heard the whisper of Kuchel's voice as it echoed in his mind, _just hold on._ He let out a shaky sigh, sinking down onto the cold, stone floor from where he had risen when the man had entered. 

"Don't get too comfortable," the visitor sneered, ripping Eren from the quiet comfort he had found, "Let me show you what that alpha you are calling for thinks of you." The man was next to Eren once more, the sound of metal against stone drawing Eren's attention as he sensed the presence hovering behind him. Eren squirmed, fighting against the heat willing his limbs to stay pliant, ready to be taken should his mate wish to do so. A sharp cramp caused him to curl in on himself, shielding his belly from the pain radiating from within. 

"No hiding," the rough voice of Eren's visitor chided, calloused hands burning his skin as they grasped his ankles, pulling them apart. _Wrong, wrong_ the darkness in Eren chanted, _tainted.... wont want us... disgusting._ Eren screamed as something hard and freezing cold pierced through his entrance, the cold causing the surface to stick and drag at his insides. Eren tried to pull away, fingers digging into the stone for purchase, pulling away bloody as the heavy weight of his visitor's body was sat upon his legs to keep him in place. 

The implement was forced further inside, slick barely able to ease the glide as it split him open. Eren begged for his mate to stop, to take pity on him and forgive his inadequacies, but the cries went unanswered. Eren screamed, sobbing as he felt the delicate membranes stretch to accommodate the intrusion, fearful that if he moved at all he would tear. Eren howled as the bulbous end of the pear-shaped object was pushed in, stretching his rim and sending pain shooting down his spine. The implement was still blisteringly cold despite the warmth it was stealing from Eren's body. 

_Not good enough for mate,_ the darkness in Eren whispered, _he used a_ thing _to knot us because he doesn't want to do it himself._ Eren nodded, biting back the sobs fighting to escape, hoping desperately to bring back the scent of contentment by remaining silent. He was rewarded as a hand snaked around to cover his mouth, pressing the mask into his parted lips, leaving behind the lingering scent of sage as it was pulled away. He bit into the cloth instinctively, relishing the taste of his mate's happiness on his tongue. 

Eren felt movement behind him, the implement inside shifting slightly as though it were being gripped and manipulated. Eren returned to laving his tongue against the fabric wedged between his teeth, an odd sense of contentment with being filled despite the pain and cold of the metal settling along his spine. He sunk further into the stone floor, relaxing his muscles until he felt the implement growing wider, jostling within him and stretching him further. He clenched his fists, muffling a scream into the fabric as his tender skin split and tore. 

_Be good for mate,_ the darkness whispered again, coaxing Eren into relaxing against the pain once more. Another twist and the implement widened further, tears running down Eren's cheeks but he remained silent, anything to keep the scent of pleasure on his tongue. Two more turns and Eren collapsed, his thighs no longer able to support him through the pain of being ripped apart from within. The man behind him stood, shuffling as he packed away the rest of the tools, leaving Eren sprawled on the floor, unable to move for fear of doing further damage as the implement spread him apart. The fabric was ripped from his mouth as the man made his way out of the cell. The heavy clang of the door closing was the only sound before Eren was left in silence once more.

Eren pressed his cheek into the cool stone, mind reeling from pain and heat, nose searching for any remaining scent of his mate, but there was nothing. His belly pressed against the floor, jostling the implement where it created a discernable swell there. He cried out, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to stay quiet, praying for the scent to return. His body began to give in, limbs losing feeling as it fought to protect itself against the pain setting his nerves on fire. 

As Eren's mind drifted, he called out one final time. “Levi,” Eren whispered, the name he had never before spoken leaving his lips as though he had said it a thousand times. It echoed through the stone cell, the unnatural sound sending a thrill down Eren's spine as sleep overtook him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your continued support. Feel free to come yell at me on [tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/eveningstargazer)


	5. Memory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for your patience. I hope you enjoy. Please let me know what you think!

Levi ran for what felt like days, branches slicing at his arms and legs as his feet carried him through the heart of the forest. The trees blocked the brunt of the cold winds blowing down from the mountains and across the highlands but did nothing to protect his bare feet from the early snows that had made their way through the canopy. Levi paused for breath, stamina depleting more quickly than he was used to, body wracked with phantom pain, the tearing of flesh at his back, the dull ache of limbs pulled just a little too far and the sharp pangs in his lower abdomen. In the last day or so, the pain had evened out, his body becoming accustomed to the constant waves as though it had been experiencing them for years. 

Levi was given no reprieve, however. The physical pain he had felt was quickly replaced with an aching emptiness and sense of longing that he could not help but call out to, begging for his mate to hear him across the great expanse. His throat was raw and his vocal cords were torn from the desperation that had filled his calls, each one growing softer and more hoarse until he could produce no sound at all. He felt a sense of failure wash over him. The inability to protect his mate piercing through his heart was now accompanied by the distinct realization that he could no longer even attempt to reassure his mate that he was coming. 

As he took another breath, scanning the forest for any indication of where he might find the mnathan neig, the bark of the tree he had placed his hand upon began to shiver under his touch. He pulled away slowly, wary of the fae that often dwelled in the wood, unwilling to anger them should they be of any assistance in his search for Eren. The tingle that emanated from his fingertips where they had made contact with the bark confused him, his brows furrowing at the unusual air filling the grove in which he stood. Around him, the air had grown warm, as though the life energy within the tree was seeping into the chilled forest. 

Levi took a step back, movements cautious as he watched with widened eyes, the wood taking shape into something like a face, the lower branches reaching for Levi to pull him closer. He went lax, knowing better than to fight against the draid that held him in its grasp. His heart pounded in his chest, a mix of hope and trepidation causing his breath to hitch as he was drawn in, feet dragging against the cold hardness of the forest floor. 

It had been a long time since Levi had heard of someone being granted a gift from the draid. The memories they imparted were considered a blessing of the highest regard, only given to those whose fate was intertwined with nature itself. Levi recalled that his mother would often sing him to sleep with stories of the lìn, the web of life that resided just under the surface of the earth. He had asked his mother once if they could listen to the trees. She had smiled down at him so softly that he had been distracted by the galaxies reflected in her eyes, forgetting his original question when she finally whispered _some of us can_. He had been confused, little nose scrunched up as he tried to recall his question without appearing ungrateful for her answer. She had poked his nose, effectively eliminating any of his concern and dove into the story of the draid. 

_There were many of our kind who loved the Earth, not just appreciated and toiled to obtain its gifts, but worshiped it, dedicated their lives to understanding it. Many, many years ago, before the universe even dreamed of you, the draid gathered in a grove of ash many hundred years old, the seeds twirling to the ground as they stood in prayer. The draid began to speak with the grove, their voices seeping into the bark and the leaves, the roots and the soil, their love feeding the earth and bringing new life despite the season. Because they had been so good to the earth, had spread words of care and love and balance, she accepted them, welcomed them into herself with open arms and entwined their very souls with hers. They grew roots into her soil while their limbs swept high into the sky, filling out the canopy and joining the grove in their dance through the wind._

_It is said that they were the beginnings of the lìn, the web of life that pulses below our feet. But they serve a much greater purpose than that, little one. They are the keepers of our memories, of earth's memories. Everywhere we go in this world there is life and life always remembers. Every now and then, only a few times, if any, per age, the draid awaken and draw themselves out of the lìn to share those memories. Nature will always ensure she stays in balance, her love for life overcoming every obstacle she has faced since the dawn of time. We humans began to set things off balance, refusing to respond to her pleas and going against her set order. We were stubborn, forging our own way regardless of the pain it caused to the rest of her creations._

_Her draid became her voice, a connection to us that provided her with a method of guiding humans towards balance. If something is amiss, something beyond her ability to adjust, the draid will reach out to us, using the memories the lìn has collected to communicate what is needed. The draid are wise, have learned from the memories flowing through the lìn how best to show us the way without further altering fate and upsetting the balance. Their wisdom leads them to whoever can carry out what needs to be done and their memories guide that person on the path towards success_.

Levi remembered the stories well, how he had begged for them at night, excited to hear his mother speak of the tress and their keepers. He had spent many afternoons playing amongst the thick trunks that towered into the sky above him and the soft leaves that decorated the ground below him. He had spoken to the trees more than once, telling them little stories, often from his wild imagination. As he grew older, he would tell the trees of how he missed his mother, of the emerald eyes that haunted him at night, and of the tug he felt in his chest, an emptiness that told him he was a part of something rather than a whole. 

Levi closed his eyes, the memory of his mother bringing a fresh pain to his chest before he opened them once more. He watched as two thin branches touched to his temples, the gentle pulse of energy making his eyes widen and then flutter closed. Warmth seeped from the branches, soothing the spike in his emotions as the draid began to speak to him. 

_We hear your pain,_ the draid soothed. He felt barely-there pulses of energy emanating from the branches, the strange feeling less jarring that he had expected. It seeped into his mind, his heart swelling as though he was being sent the comfort of every living creature connected to the lìn. As quickly as it had come, the sensation was gone, replaced with the now familiar longing and emptiness that had plagued his journey thus far. His eyes fluttered as the draid played memories across his mind, memories that were not his own. 

_Himself as a toddler, running through the forest, halting only when in the circle of stone before turning to his mother, giggling at the funny faces she made across the clearing._

_That same night, gripping at his sheets and sobbing into them, begging to be made whole again as his heart reached out for someone that wasn't there._

_His mother, soft steps lost in the night winds as she made her way into the forest, shadowed creatures welcoming her as she asked what could be done for her son. The look of sorrow as she was told of his fate._

_Darkness, his mother's prayer as she exchanged her own soul for his other half._

_The sharp cry of a baby as it was welcomed into the world, emerald eyes blinking lazily as they took in its new home._

Levi gasped, heart clenching and reaching out for the infant, a fierce need to protect the child rooted deep within his core. He thrashed, unknowingly kicking at the draid's trunk to free himself. The need to push forward, to return to his task overwhelming his gratitude for the gift he was being granted. The draid understood, another soft wave of warmth passing through the connection as it soothed him once more, coaxing him to relax as more memories flooded his mind. 

_The confusion of a boy, emerald eyes and chestnut hair shimmering in the flames as he watched his house burn, his mother screaming for him to run from where she was pinned beneath a beam as dark figures surrounded the home._

_A man, long, dark hair tied with a black ribbon as he lit the tinder of the funeral pyre, a too firm grip wrapped around the boy's wrist as the child reached out for the wrapped body before him, eyes shimmering with unshed tears as he tried to rip his wrist from the painful hold._

_The boy, barely over the age of 11, dull emerald eyes staring from sunken sockets as Levi, himself nearly 15, was dragged from a home, fighting to get back to the boy and protect him before the haze of his presentation rut set in, his pale silver eyes wide with fear and trepidation at the disgust painted across the face of the man standing beside the boy._

_The man with the dark hair and a second, familiar to Levi in a way he could not place, huddled together in the dark of night beneath a flickering torch, speaking in hushed words of deals formed and promises made._

_The boy, having just turned 18, hanging from chains in a cold, dark cell, limbs limp and voice soft as he called out for his alpha, pain searing through his body as he experienced his first heat. His quite whimpers echoing off stone walls reflected back only emptiness and loneliness._

Levi reeled at the sound coming from the boy in the last vision. It was the same as the call he had heard for the past several days as it pleaded for him, pleaded for safety and protection through cries of excruciating pain. Levi's heart clenched and stomach churned as he connected the pieces, the implications of a delayed heat, the pain of being unable to seek relief during such a vulnerable time, of being denied the basic assurances that he was cared for and wanted. 

Levi recalled the story of an omega in the village who had refused to relieve his heat, refused to allow anyone close to him to provide assurances, even in the absence of physical relief, the pained calls that had echoed across the quiet village before the omega had passed away, body unable to withstand the punishment it had inflicted upon itself. 

Levi was momentarily thankful that Eren's heat had been delayed, that he had been spared such torture in his situation until recently. But then the reality set in, the understanding that an omega's presentation heat would only be delayed in situations where the omega was not safe, was injured past the point of supporting a heat or knew it could not carry a pup to term in its current state. Levi scrambled, begging the draid to tell him what was happening, where he could find his mate. He knew that once the presentation heat set in, particularly one so delayed as Eren's his body would go into a frenzy, making up for lost opportunities no matter the danger it placed him in. 

_The journey is your own,_ the draid soothed, voice soft in Levi's mind but consuming enough to block out Eren's pained cries still reverberating in his skull and the spiral of thoughts in which he had descended.

_You must understand the importance of your path. It is not just about finding you mate, but about maintaining the balance,_ the draid continued, _The pain you will suffer along the way will not be inconsequential. You will not be guaranteed success, nor will the path towards your goal be straightforward. We can only show you so much without imbalancing fate even more than those who seek to tear you from him._

Levi paused in his struggling, taking a steadying breath before choking out an impassioned response, "I know I need to find the mnathan neig and ask her my questions before I can go any further. I have to find him; I have to show him I can protect him." Levi panted, blinking back the mist that had formed in his eyes as his fists clenched against the onslaught of emotion overtaking him. "I know things got lost along the way, that others interfered in a way they shouldn't have. I should've had him years ago. That's why I haven't had a rut, isn't it?" he whispered. 

_Mhmm,_ the draid said, tone pleased and comforting, _No wonder your mother was so willing to sacrifice herself for you both. I cannot answer your questions, but I can show you our most recent memory._

Levi breathed deeply as he tried to relax into the draid's grasp once more, eyelashes fluttering as the final memory played across his eyes. 

_The man with dark hair tied back with a black ribbon stood in a shadowy room, lit only by a few small candles. He paced, grimacing as sharp cries of pain could be heard from somewhere outside the room. He consulted a worn, leatherbound journal, diagrams of a male, sketched in a fashion to depict development over many years, scattered across the pages. Notes designating experimentations, reactions, scents, expressions and words surrounded each sketch in a morbid catalog of each method of torture._

_The door creaked as a much taller man, slim yet imposing, with a deep scowl across his face entered and made his way to the center of the room. His dark kilt was mottled in places, crimson blood soaked into the fabric until it was barely discernable except for the scent of pain and despair that had been sopped up by the fibers along with it. His small, piercing eyes assessed the dark haired man as his fingers came up to scratch roughly at his thin beard, smearing the blood that remained on them through the scruff._

_"He's learning fast," the taller man began, gruff voice tearing through the otherwise quiet room, "got the big thing in him and he just sort-of accepted it after the first few screams, even when he tore." He paused, thinking to himself before recounting more details._

_"I played with the incense a bit. Don't think he could tell when I switched 'em out," he continued, "got him all worked up with the runt's pleased scent. It's been a long time since I had to smell that shit. It better have been worth it. What did you think would happen, anyhow?"_

_The dark haired man paused, tapping at his chin as he flipped through this journal, "I expected that being knotted by an inanimate object, so painfully at that, while surrounded by the scent his alpha would release when happy and approving would be too much of a dichotomy for his instincts to support, tearing into the bond and breaking him a bit more. His inner omega should be reeling by now, furious at his alpha for being happy to reject him in such a way. " He paused, closing his eyes as his hands came up to scrub at his face in frustration before continuing, "How was he when you left."_

_"He smelled like he was in pain, but I could scent the contentment buried underneath it all. He was silent too. Some part of him was proud for making his mate happy, no matter what it cost him."_

_"Understood," the dark-haired man responded, before a frantic look passed behind his eyes and he surged forward, gripping the taller man's shoulders, his eyes bright as his mania took over, "the attempts to sever the bond up till now have been unsuccessful. He still calls out for that alpha no matter how many times we tear through his mark or intensify his heats without relief. Perhaps..." the dark-haired man began to mumble as the other pulled away from his grip, scowl deepening as he observed the descent into madness that so often accompanied another _failed_ experiment. _

_"I don't suppose you have a new theory?" The taller asked, picking at the dried blood under his nails before wiping them on his dark kilt, rolling his eyes when they came back bloodier than before._

_"Of course....of course, of course..." the dark-haired man muttered, pacing back to his journal and flipping through the pages before landing on what he had been seeking, rushing it over to the other and pointing emphatically at a notation, "Do you recall when we sliced through his bond the first time? We had fed him those herbs. What were they?" the man consulted his journal once more, tapping at the entry and the sketch of the leaves depicted there, "Yes, yes. We had crushed up the Cyelon tea leaves into a powder, added a few drops of bergamot oil and made him inhale it. My notes state he growled, foamed at the mouth and made vocalizations as though he were an alpha." He began to pace once more, arms flailing as he worked through his hypothesis._

_"Ya' mind filling me in on what you're muttering over there?"_

_The dark-haired man paused, meeting the piercing steel grey eyes across the room. "We have to turn him against his own alpha, make him into an alpha himself," he sneered, "The bond will break when he kills the little runt himself."_

_A booming laugh sounded from the other man, the sound rough and wheezing as he fought for breath. "Oh, I can't wait to see the look on my nephew's face when his own mate rips out his throat."_

Levi reeled back, nearly snapping the twigs still pressed to his temples in the process. His eyes blinked rapidly to clear the mist from them. The draid hummed, attempting to soothe him but failing as images of Kenny torturing his mate flashed behind Levi's eyelids. He thrashed until the draid released him. As he stumbled back, the ground spun beneath him. His chest heaved as he tried to suppress the snarls and calls threatening to rip from his throat.

Levi steadied himself against the trunk of the draid, breaths deep as he willed himself to focus, knowing he could not protect his mate if he were to allow himself to be overcome by the flood of emotions coursing through him. Once his breath had calmed, he stepped away from the draid, sorting through the pieces he had been shown to complete as clear a picture as possible of his mate's condition.

"Am I to believe," Levi began, shaking his head as he came to terms with what he had seen, "If what you showed me is a memory, then that means Kenny survived." Levi raised his gaz e to meet the draid's eyes, searching for answers but receiving none. The draid was still, face receded back into the bark. Having imparted its wisdom, the draid had returned to its dormant state, leaving Levi alone, toes curling into the cold dirt as he began to notice the chill seeping into his bones.

Levi peered beyond the draid into the forest, reacclimating himself to his surroundings after the harrowing experience. It was clear to him that Kenny had been behind this from the beginning. Levi growled as he realized Kenney was always the one keeping him away from Eren, from ripping him from his mate when he was just a toddler, to pulling him from Eren's presence when he first presented. Even after losing his clan, Kenney was still trying to break the threads that bound Levi to the other half of his soul, still trying to turn his other half against him.

Levi's breath caught in his throat as he recollected the draid's final words. _Our most recent memory._ Kenney had just come from his mate, had just finished inflicting the pain Levi had been experiencing by proxy for the past 9 days. Anger began to burn through Levi's core, the sight of so much blood on Kenney's kilt churning his stomach and finally ripping out the growl that had been rumbling in his chest. A sharp pain squeezed at Levi's heart as he realized Eren had been trained to be content with pain if he thought it was making his mate happy. His mind reeled with concerns for what this would mean when they finally met, what challenges they would face in reuniting, particularly if the next experiment truly could turn Eren.

Levi shook his head, effectively freeing himself from his spiraling thoughts as he gathered himself from the forest floor where he had sunk to his knees in grief. As he took a breath to collect his thoughts, he realized he could hear to soft sound of running water, the cool scent of a stream nearly iced over from the frost making its way to his nose. In a distant part of his mind, Levi understood that he was searching for water, that the mnathan neig were typically found against the banks but his focus was elsewhere, lost in the chill of a stone cell, the whimpers of his mate ringing in his ears.

Levi began to stumble forward, a low croon slipping from his lips, a desperate attempt to sooth both himself and Eren, regardless of how strained their current link. Levi focused on the dull pain throbbing at the base of his spine, on the barely-there scent of rosemary and cinnamon which had accompanied him since the night of the Samhuinn, _I'm coming, Eren. I'm searching for you._


	6. Bloom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much, everyone, for your incredible support and patience. Life has been very complicated and writing was difficult to motivate towards in the last several weeks; however, your support and kind words made it a little bit easier to pick up the proverbial pen once more. Thank you again, I love hearing your thoughts and predictions and I hope you enjoy!

A soft voice woke Eren from his slumber. His body had grown accustomed to the stretch of the metal wedged inside him in the hours that passed since Kenny left the room. As Eren attempted to pull himself up from the floor, the metal shifted, the curved tips tearing from sensitive tissue that had attempted to heal around them and sending him sprawling to the ground once more. 

Eren took deep, labored breaths, steeling himself against the onslaught of pain as he shifted to a slightly more comfortable position. The angle took the pressure off of his stomach and entrance, relieving the sharpest of the pain but focusing his attention on the steady, throbbing ache it had already caused. His mate's scent had dissipated and only the smell of damp earth and stone remained. Eren sighed, letting out a breath as he allowed his muscles to relax, the absence of the scent that accompanied so much pain stirring hope within him that today he might be given a reprieve from the constant experiments, that his mate might have mercy on him and allow him to rest. 

Eren had not always been a prisoner. He had been a happy child, eager to learn new skills and seeking to support those around him as much as he possibly could. He often got into fights, but only ever to protect those who could not protect themselves. It had resulted in countless scrapes, bruises and sometimes wounded pride, but he would always come back home to a doting mother who told him how brave he was and an amused father who would patch him up and slather on one of his healing salves. 

Eren's family had lived outside the clans, his father preferring to be a neutral entity between them, selling his herbs and remedies to whoever needed help, regardless of affiliation. Their family had been loved among the villages surrounding them, invited in with open arms whenever they visited. Eren would often accompany his father when they would check on patients or make deliveries, playing with the other children and learning the varied clan traditions. His mother had worked with fibers, picking up odd-jobs from each village and bartering for supplies.

Eren smiled softly as he recalled the way she would sing to him as they walked through the moors on the way to a stop, his hand clasp tightly in hers as they swung their arms to the tune. His father would watch them, a grin plastered on his face at their antics, content to pass the time simply observing his loved ones. It was such a happy memory that Eren's chest ached with it, desperate to return to such a carefree life. His mother had told him fairy tales of soulmates, of people destined to be together and who could feel their bond the moment they met. She would tell him how one day, if he grew into a big, strong, good boy, Eren might meet a soul mate of his own, and their hand would take the place of hers. It had been so long since he had felt a comforting hand grasping his own, so long since the ones who were supposed to love him had treated him with kindness. 

Eren blinked slowly, clearing the tears the memories had brought on. They rolled down his cool cheeks, leaving chilled trails in their wake. The candles had gone out long ago and without any windows or slivers of light, his eyes could not adjust, leaving him just as deprived of sight as he had been with the blindfold. He was thankful the man had removed it, relieving him of the confining cloth but also stripping him of the confusing scents of his alpha, the miasma of pleasure and anger preventing his heat from ending as his body made a final attempt to perform its duty as an omega and satisfy his mate. With the scents gone, and having been left alone in the room, even with a cold, foreign, and simulated knot that was not his alpha's wedged inside him, Eren's body finally gave in, allowing him the few hours of rest he had desperately needed. 

The soft voice that had woken Eren sounded again and stripped away the last tendrils of drowsiness from Eren's mind. He grit his teeth, sliding himself closer to the door to better hear the words. It wasn't often that he could hear their voices through the great metal door separating him from his freedom. Chained up for a majority of the time he spent in his cell, he almost never had the range of motion to get close enough to hear through it. The first few times he had tried had only left him feeling lonelier, his ears straining for any sign of life beyond his tiny room but finding none. 

Once, when left alone during a heat, Eren had crawled to the door, praying to Beira that he might slip through the next time it was opened. Instead, he had fallen asleep, woken only by the sharp pain of the metal door slamming into his ribs as it was opened. He had tried to scramble through anyway but was scruffed and tossed unceremoniously back into his cell. The experiments had been worse in the weeks that followed and Eren found that when he was left unchained again, he could barely get close to the door, the metal searingly hot as though a fire had been lit on the other side. 

In his loneliest moments, he relied instead on Kuchel's voice to keep him company. However, he had not heard her voice since the beginning of his heat, had not had the comforting words during his recovery that he had grown accustomed to. Eren held back a sob, his heart clenching at the realization that he had been abandoned by both his mate and his only friend.

The voice grew louder and multiplied, still muffled behind the steel door but growing closer now that Eren's ear was pressed firmly against it. He blanched and shuffled back to the wall, biting back a scream as he curled into himself and the spikes shifted inside him. He gagged as a tiny trickle of red escaped him, the smell of blood clogging his nose, but willed himself to remain calm, not wanting to agitate whoever was coming for him. A key clanged in the lock and Eren pressed himself back against the stone wall. As the door opened and a man stepped through. Eren's eyes widened as he laid eyes on his father. Eren knew his father had been involved, had heard Grisha's voice during the experiments before, but seeing him brought back the pain of his predicament.

~

Many years ago, when he had first been chained to the stone ceiling, his father had explained that Eren was the reason his mother had died; that he had, in essence, killed his mother; that his miracle birth was the reason the _slaugh_ had sought out their home, burned it down and trapped his mother within. Grisha's eyes had shone red that day as he had turned the key in the manacles around Eren's wrists and ankles, leaving his young son barely able to touch the ground with the tips of his toes. His eyes had softened as Eren cried, not understanding what his father wanted from him, why the man he had adored and looked up to was scaring him so. The red had receded from Grisha's eyes as Eren sobbed, begging for his mother to return to them, pleading with his father to help him understand, apologizing for the crimes Grisha held against him, even if he didn't understand what he was sorry for.

Eren had felt a warmth brushing against his consciousness while Grisha laid into him that first night, as though someone was reaching out to comfort him. It felt familiar, like someone he had met before but a very long time ago. He tried to reach out in response but couldn't clarify the connection, like reaching out to someone and only having your fingertips touch. Eren had fallen silent as he attempted to traverse the bond to the person on the other end, his eyes gone distant and unseeing as he followed the mental string connecting them. 

Grisha had watched as his son had pulled away, his consciousness slipping into another plane. It was then that Grisha noticed Eren's eyes flare, bright gold overtaking brilliant emerald. Anger and heartache flared through him as he recognized the signs of his son's bond trying to form even without his mate present, fairy tales coming to life before his eyes. Grisha screamed, a horrid, hollow sound as he dug his fingers into Eren's scent gland, marring the skin in an attempt to break the connection, to trick Eren's body into rejecting the bond. Eren's eyes flickered, color shifting until they settled back to green, duller and glassier than before as Eren returned to himself.

Eren had felt far more alone after that, as though he had lost a dear friend or even a piece of himself. He had gone quiet, limp in his chains as exhaustion overtook him. Tears trickled down his face, mourning someone he had never met. Grisha looked on in disgust, sneering at his son, kicking his feet out from under him so he hung by his wrists, the skin raw and torn and the joints shifting. When Eren did not fight back, Grisha left, leaving his son to whisper a name he had never heard into the silence of the room.

It was several weeks later that Eren was allowed to see the sun once more. Grisha had kept him locked in the cellar, beat him bloody whenever the heather ale would brew too strong and the memories of Carla would flood the older man with grief. Grisha had unlocked the cell door and trudged inside, hands rough as he jerked the key in the lock for each chain that had kept Eren in place. He shoved a clean but threadbare tunic in Eren's direction, grimacing as the boy wobbled on legs weak from disuse but offering him no aid. It took several moments for Eren to work feeling back into his limbs, finally heaving off the torn and tattered remains of the tunic he had first come into that accursed place with and replacing it with the new one. 

Grisha made no effort to explain, merely turned and headed out of the cellar, confident his son would follow without question or complaint. Eren knew he had been wrong, knew that he had killed his mother as much as if his own hands had wrapped around her throat. Grisha had taught him the truth of his sins, beat his penance into his flesh and drawn his blood in retribution. He followed his father up into their home, glancing wistfully at the rocking chair in the corner, soft sheepskin draped across the back as though his mother had just finished rocking him to sleep. A sharp sound near the door drew Eren's attention and he scurried to meet his father, bowing his head and following after as they made their way out of the dwelling. 

The pair did not say a word to one another on the three-day journey. Eren surmised that the only reason he was not still in chains was his father's inability to feed him while he was away on such a lengthy errand. He stumbled over a stone wedged into the forest floor, caught off guard when his gaze had wandered to a stone circle to his right. He remained rooted to the spot as he took in the sight before him. The ancient structure covered in moss and vines existed in harmony with the trees, blending into them save for the large swath of dirt at its center. Eren felt drawn to it, as though standing in its center would make him feel at home for the first time since his mother passed. As he stared, he saw movement flit across his field of vision, too quickly for him to focus on. As he made to follow it, he thought he heard a woman's voice, soft and kind as it was carried on the breeze that rustled the leaves on the trees above him. He couldn't make out the words, his ears straining as his feet carried him closer, desperate to know who was calling to him. Another voice joined the first, a boy, several years older than himself. His voice was clearer than the woman's and Eren felt a blanket of warmth surround him at the sound. 

Eren was jerked back abruptly, pulled from his attempt to get closer and see the boy as Grisha's hand curled in the collar of his tunic and dragged him forward. Eren gave in immediately, sadness pooling in his chest as the distance between himself and the circle grew. When they finally broke through the edge of the forest, Eren froze. His eyes widened, lingering on the wide expanse of heathered moor before him as his head swiveled side to side. In the distance, Eren saw the fine wisps of smoke rising into the cool spring air from the village nestled at the foot of the hill. 

Grisha pulled Eren forward, only releasing him when the boy made no move to stop again. Eren marveled at the heather pixies that nipped at his heels as they made their way down the path. They gravitated towards him, pulling a smile from his lips as they flew and flitted around him. Each time Grisha turned to check on him, tugging on the thin chain he had fastened around Eren's wrist as a reminder of his obligation to comply, the pixies would scatter back into the brush. When Grisha would turn forward, the pixies would return, rushing at Eren's face to poke at his nose, tickling the hair on the back of his neck and landing on his shoulder to make funny noises in his ears. 

One pixie, in particular, flew towards him slowly, weighed down by a white heather sprig nearly the size of its entire body. With much struggle, it wove the flower behind Eren's ear, a blessing of protection whispered into the bloom to strengthen its power. When the other pixies saw, they too rush out, returning with their own blooms to weave into Eren's dirty chestnut strands. 

The next time Grisha turned, he was met with the sight of Eren covered in blossoms, giggling as he looked around and searched through the brush for the pixies that had scattered from their task as soon as Grisha moved to turn. Grisha reared back, furious at seeing Eren's bright emerald eyes glowing happily in the afternoon sun while Carla rotted in the earth. Eren froze, feeling the burning gaze of his father as he slowly looked up from where he was crouched on the ground, hands still clutching at the stems he had been pushing aside. The tickle of a blossom tumbling from his hair was a stark contrast to the seething anger and scent of aggression coming off his father in waves. 

Eren reached up and slowly plucked the flowers from his hair, the blanket of warmth and protection that had surrounded him falling away as he continued forward, following his father towards the village. He held the final bloom in his hand, the white one he had been gifted by the first fairy, before letting it, too, fall to the ground, only to be pressed into the damp earth by the weight of his foot as he trudged forward to meet his father. Behind him, out of sight of the two humans, the fairies rose solemnly from the heather, eyes heavy with dewdrop tears as they watched the boy dismantle their shroud of protection. From the edge of the forest, two pairs of silver eyes watched mournfully as the little boy followed his father towards the village. 

At the edge of the village, Grisha paused to unclip the chain from around Eren's wrists, not wanting to draw attention to the strange behavior. He made his way briskly towards a particular dwelling, glaring at Eren to follow him before continuing on. It was difficult for Eren to stay focused, the wisps of smoke rising from the houses carrying the scent of freshly cooked meats. His stomach rumbled, a telling sign of the meager meals he had been fed since his mother had died. Eren rubbed at his belly absentmindedly as he followed his father, the sharp twinge of rocks slicing at his feet drawing his gaze to the ground. He stopped abruptly, nearly running into his father as they halted in front of an ornately carved door, feverfew sprigs surrounding the frame. Grisha knocked and was almost immediately greeted by an angry looking man opening the door. He was tall and slim, towering over Grisha. At the sight of his strong frame and menacing scowl, Eren cowered behind the doorframe. Eren's eyes scanned the man's face. His short, coarse, dark hair was heavy with grease and dirt and reached down to his neck. His thin, scraggly beard stretched along his sharp jawline. Eren's nose wrinkled at the scent of belladonna curling through the air. Eren recognized the tartan of a chieftain draped over the man's shoulder, tucked ceremoniously into the ornate belt at his waist. 

"Kenny," Grisha greeted, tone courteous but unenthusiastic. 

"Doc," the man responded, opening the door wider and allowing Grisha and Eren to enter. 

Without another word, Kenny led the two towards a back room, the smell of sickness strong enough to overtake the scent of death surrounding Kenny. Eren made his way to the corner, sunken emerald eyes staring at the small trembling form curled on the bed. Grisha immediately got to work, sitting on the edge of the bed and unpacking the various potions and tinctures from the pouches he had tied around the belt of his kilt. As he began administering the treatments, Eren heard a commotion outside, his ears straining to hear before the door they had entered through burst open, a boy a few years older than Eren rushing into the room. 

Eren's eyes widened, emerald flashing to gold. His breath halted in his lungs as he took in the teenager before him, the soft raven hair trimmed neatly into an undercut, an unusual style but somehow fitting, framing his strong jaw and highlighting his pale skin. Eren's scent shifted as he watched silver eyes search the room, taking in the situation before rushing over to the bedside. 

"Levi," Kenny growled, reaching out a hand and pressing it against the teenager's chest, preventing him from getting any closer.

"I saw the feverfew," Levi began, haltingly, pressing back against the restraint as he tried to get closer to the form on the bed.

" It got worse this mornin'," Kenny said, "knew the doc was on his way, so figured he'd be his first. Give the man room to work."

Levi growled as Kenny pushed against his chest, the scent of petitgrain filling the room as Levi turned abruptly to storm out. Eren whimpered, pressing himself against the wall, fearful of the scent swirling around him, his heart heavy with a disappointment he could not understand. The sound caught Levi's attention, blazing silver locking with sunken emerald as Eren stared up at him. 

Levi jerked forward, scent immediately shifting into soothing chamomile, the undertones of bergamot relaxing Eren until he was nearly slumped against the wall. Levi's eyes scanned his form, lingering on the dirty, torn tunic that slipped from one shoulder, the bruises littering his legs from when he had fallen on their journey, and the dried blood caked on his feet. Levi's eyes flashed with fury, but his scent remained calm, his feet carrying him steadily closer as Eren watched, rooted to the spot. 

When Levi finally made his way over, caging Eren into the corner with his presence, he scented the air. His eyes flashed gold at the scent of cinnamon and rosemary, a low, rumbling croon vibrating through the room. Kenny was beside him in an instant, large hands grasping at Levi's biceps and pulling him backward. 

"Mine!" Levi growled, struggling against Kenney's hold despite their height differences. Eren was immediately aware of the scent of petitgrain interlacing with the calm scent from before, warring for dominance with Kenny's own. Levi thrashed in his hold, Eren's eyes wide as he witnessed the tightly coiled muscles of Levi's arms and chest fighting against the restraint. Levi looked like a madman, eyes flickering back and forth between piercing steel and fiery gold; his teeth were barred, snarls tearing from his throat as he fought to get back to Eren. 

"He presenting?" Grisha asked, still sitting calmly on the edge of the bed, his patient all but forgotten. 

"He hadn't yet, so I'd say that's a good guess," Kenny grumbled, grunting as Levi attempted to escape by elbowing Kenny below his ribs, "Looks like the runt's an alpha. Didn't think he had it in him."

"Get him out," Grisha growled, glaring as he observed the two, anger clear in his scent when Eren's eyes flickered to gold in harmony with Levi's. In an instant, he was up and on his feet, crossing the small space to Eren before digging sharp fingers into the boy's scent gland one again disrupting the clarification of a bond. Eren looked up pleadingly at his father, eyes large and round as they flickered back to their previous emerald. Levi let out a roar as the subtle scent of Eren's blood met his nostrils, fighting harder against Kenny as Grisha made his way back over to the bed. Eren stayed in the corner, his body weak and reeling from another bond attempt being broken. Grisha returned with a cloth soaked in a vile smelling liquid and pressed it to Eren's face, obscuring his nose and mouth. Levi cried out, yelping as Kenny drew his arms tighter behind his back but continuing to struggle towards Eren. 

"I said, get him out!" Grisha shouted, his voice booming through the dwelling and shaking the dust from the rafters. Kenny huffed, grumbling about not taking orders from commoners before turning and dragging Levi out through the broken door and towards the castle. Levi howled, fighting uselessly against his uncle's restraint as Eren slumped to the floor, unconscious.

~~~

Levi gasped, hand clutching at his chest as heat coursed through him, the symptoms of rut he had not experienced in nearly a decade momentarily clouding his mind. His jaw felt stiff and his mouth felt too full of teeth ready to sink into willing flesh. He stumbled forward, hands reaching out to grasp onto the nearest branch as he made his way towards the river he could hear rushing in the distance. He was overcome, heart pounding as he saw the dark symbols of the _ruguire_ etching themselves into his skin. The marks were still pale, more a warning than anything but no less threatening. He took a deep breath and steadied himself as his fingertips ached with the growth of feral claws.

The scent of an omega caught Levi's attention as the sound of rushing water grew closer, his feet dragging in the dirt. _Claim, mark, breed_ the dark voice inside him twisted while muttering in the same moment _wrong, not ours, need our mate, mate can fix us._ Levi growled, instincts warring within him as the scent of an omega that was not his own grew stronger, teeth flashing as he snarled. His eyes darkened as a figure came into view, half submerged in the water before him as he broke through the tree line at the riverbank. Levi lept forward to attack, desperate to snuff out the scent of _wrong._

Levi felt himself make contact, claws sinking into soft flesh, the pained cry of the omega beneath him ringing in his ears. He heard a roar to his right and out of the corner of his eyes saw a large figure rushing towards him, its torso and head that of a human but its lower half taking the form of a horse. Levi's eyes widened at the sight of the kelpie, a shiver of fear running through him as he tried to react in time. His claws retracted, teeth rending flesh from the omega's shoulder as he pulled back to brace for the attack. He was too late; the kelpie slamming into him and knocking him onto his back. Levi heard the low croon of an alpha soothing its mate, a hoof appearing in his field of vision before his mind went blank.


	7. Voices

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for your continued support. I appreciate your feedback and the time you have taken to read my humble little story. ~Mist

Levi could recall his first rut clear as day, the way the little brat on the other side of the cottage had smelt as he had stepped closer burned into his nose as though he were there before him. The cinnamon and rosemary scent that had flooded the cottage when the boy caught Levi's scent reminded him of so many years before, of the infant who had quieted so perfectly the moment he laid eyes on Levi. Even then, the scent had brought back memories of happy times with his mother, but they had been quickly overridden with the scent of death that seeped from Kenny when, both times, he had dragged Levi away from the only person that had every smelt _that good_.

By the time Levi had ridden out the effects of his presentation rut and was allowed to leave the castle, his best friends Farlan and Isabell had passed away, taken by the sweating sickness despite the potions left by the doctor. Levi's heart had broken, having missed the funeral rites while locked away, unable to send them off properly as tradition demanded. Losing not only the two who he had grown to call family but the boy who's emerald eyes were burned into Levi's mind had sent him on a rampage through the village. No one could tell him the boy's name. Most had not even noticed the small form trailing dutifully behind the doctor as he tended to the rest of the town and prepared the potions to protect against the spread of disease beyond the Church household. Those that had taken a moment to notice had shied away from questioning the boy's pitiful state. While the doctor was well known, none knew where he resided, no matter how intently Levi pressed.

Levi sighed at the recollection of how close he had been to having Eren in his arms if only he had fought harder against Kenny. He noticed absently that air did not refill his lungs as quickly as he had anticipated it would. His body convulsed, muscles fighting against something he was not yet aware of, something he thought he should remember but could not put his finger on. 

Levi's mind drifted, feeling as though he was floating above his body, his feet barely touching the surface of the rushing stream. He blinked slowly, eyes searching the surface of the water, trying to understand the strange sensations that surrounded him. What he saw terrified him. The black of each pupil engulfing his entire eye, the shadows crawling from his fingertips consuming his entire chest, and the sharp fangs sitting in his jaw reminded him of how close he was to becoming the beast he had feared the last several seasons. Levi was reminded that he was nearly a monster, nearly a feral beast who would take what it felt he was owed with no consideration for the well-being of others.

_Alpha._ Levi's mind ached as he struggled through the fog to come back to himself at the soft voice echoing in his mind. The clear waters of the stream turned an inky black as long tendrils crawled up his legs where they were submerged, winding themselves around his wrists and pulling him down into the water despite his struggle. Levi gasped, fighting against their hold, reaching for the faceless figure that appeared before him. When he was finally pulled under, he did not feel himself struggling for air as the faceless creature stared down at him through the rippling water, its mouth moving as it called to him. Instead, he felt as though he could finally breathe again after years without air. 

A foreign pain radiated from Levi’s head down his spine in soft, tingling waves as he settled back into himself. The dark whispers had calmed, their deafening scream of _wrong, not ours_ silenced by the blow he had received and the soft voice he thought he could still hear whispering to him. He tried opening his eyes to check if the marks of the _ruguire_ had faded but he found he could not, his eyelids too heavy and his energy depleted. He wondered idly if he should be concerned but decided instead to let his mind wander once more.

There were so many steps left to take, so much distance between himself and the one who was his other half, all because Kenny was cruel and wicked. Levi sneered, feeling the slick glide and metallic taste of blood as it slid down his throat, his mind lazily traveling the path towards a recent memory of rushing water and a pained cry. The scent of cloves curled around his nose and an underlying tendril of cedar wrapped itself around his mind. _Omega... Not ours,_ a darkness reminded him. Levi's eyes shot open as he awoke, sputtering and taking huge gulps of air as he felt his mind return to his body and fight against the water around him.

_Fight, Levi,_ a distant voice echoed in Levi's mind. His heart clenched, the alpha within him howling at the way his broken mind must have conjured the voice of his mate even outside of his dreams. It had been so long since he had felt Eren, the constant pain and sensations since that first moment weeks ago had been absent since Levi's encounter with the draid. He feared whatever connection they had established had been lost. The knowledge that Eren was alive, that Levi could still make it to him in time, had been worth any pain their connection caused him, but to now have that connection silent was excruciating. A low growl ripped from his throat, knowing the pain that had accompanied him thus far on his journey was only a fraction of what Eren was experiencing, his alpha howling in disgrace for being unable to protect his mate. 

Levi steeled his resolve, standing on shaking limbs and ducking under the flying hoof of the kelpie that had attacked him. The creature's movements were slow, hampered as its left arm was occupied, trying to help the other kelpie to its feet as dark blood seeped from the wound in the tall omega's shoulder. Levi reeled back, preparing to swing at the distracted alpha before him, the strong scent of spoiled apples betraying the kelpie's concern for what was clearly its mate.

Levi lept towards the other alpha, his fist connecting with the kelpie's forearm as it blocked the attack, helping the omega rest against the shore as the alpha finished its transformation into full human form save for the heavy hooves in place of feet. Its blond hair soaked with water and strong facial features gave Levi pause, the determination in the set of its jaw mirroring Levi's own. Movements no longer hampered by its mate, the kelpie began fighting in earnest. Levi lunged again, fist connecting with the kelpie's jaw, its teeth clacking as the bone cracked. It responded with a roar, sharp white teeth flashing as it growled and scraped long nails down Levi's chest. Levi gasped, blood trickling down his pale abdomen, soaking his torn tunic. The alpha paused to look back at its mate, worry clear in its eyes as the omega lay on the shore, hand pressed tight to the gaping wound, face paling as the moments passed.

With renewed vigor, the alpha lunged at Levi, wrapping large hands around his slender neck and pushing him backward and down into the water. Levi pushed back, legs thrashing in an effort to propel himself to the surface as his back connected with the sharp stones at the river bottom. The kelpie squeezed harder, hands pressed solidly to Levi's windpipe, a fire burning in its eyes as it fought against Levi's struggle. Levi recognized that fire, the look of a frantic alpha with no greater drive than protecting its omega. The fight drained out of Levi in an instant, like the water falling from the kelpie's soaking hair. The drip, drip, drip played a funeral march as Levi's body gave in, sorrow making his limbs heavy and pliant as the reality of how far he was from Eren weighed him down. Levi let himself be plunged once more under the rushing water of the stream, the darkness from earlier replaced with the sharp pain of a hoof pressing against his abdomen as hands wrapped around his throat again and squeezed.

_Levi! Fight!_ a voice screamed, closer and more desperate than before, clear but foreign in his mind. Levi's eyes snapped open from where they had closed in surrender. _Alpha! Fight_ the voice shouted, the alpha in Levi preening at what it recognized instinctively as the voice of his mate, of Eren, of the beautiful creature that had already escaped his grasp twice before. Lifting heavy limbs upwards, Levi brought his hands down quickly onto the kelpie's forearms at the same time as he raised his knee into its abdomen. The kelpie jolted, hands still clasped around Levi's neck but shifting enough that Levi could use its significant body weight against it, flipping their positions and pinning the creature beneath him.

The kelpie thrashed, fighting against Levi's hold as the voice continued to spur Levi on _Fight, alpha! Show me your strength._ Levi's grip tightened as the kelpie's strength wained. Just before it went still, a shrill cry sounded from the omega still on the shore, the call not unlike the ones Levi had heard in the village when an omega was told their mate had perished in battle. Something dark curled within him, urging him to tighten his grip on the struggling kelpie, to assert his dominance, to display his strength for his mate, to take the life of a less worthy soul.

Shadows crept up Levi's arms from sharpened claws at his fingertips. He felt the burning fire at his core flare to life, another voice warring with his mate's as it urged him to _kill, take._ As the shadows crept across his shoulders, thin tendrils following his veins as they made their way towards his heart, he closed his eyes, relishing in the final breaths of the alpha beneath him.

_Levi._ Eren's voice was soft now, relieved and calm as he eased Levi out of the effects of the ruguire now that he knew his mate was safe. The omega on the shore cried out again as the body beneath Levi's fingers shuddered. Levi's hands loosened immediately, his body jumping back and away from the alpha in revulsion, unable to bear being the cause of the pain and loss rippling through the omega's voice. His mind filled with thoughts of Eren, of the pain he was being subjected to and the loss he himself felt for his mate. The omega whined, dragging itself across the riverbank until it was close enough to touch the other. Levi watched, silver eyes taking in the worry, sorrow, and devastation that swam through the omega's sea foam eyes as the alpha lay unmoving. The kelpie paid Levi no mind, maneuvering its mate so that its head was resting in his lap, despite the wound on its shoulder. Levi realized with a start that sometime in its journey to the water it had transformed fully, its height even sitting nearly coming to Levi's shoulder. Levi watched the trail of blood slowly trickling down the omega's chest from it's still gaping wound. Levi's eyes grew heavy as he swayed in place, soft whispers following the breeze across the water.

_cnàimh gu cnàimh agus sgaoileadh gu sgaoileadh... sàbhaladh e le mo chorp_

_bone to bone and sinew to sinew...heal my mate with my own flesh_

The omega whispered the incantation over and over, nearly a lullaby as the veil stirred around them, the air crackling with energy. Levi fought to stay awake, soothed by the mist that churned at his feet and the soft voice of the omega. The color drained from its face, its eyes drooping as it stroked the cheek of the blond-haired alpha in its lap. The alpha gasped huge gulps of air as it convulsed in the omega's arms. The omega smiled, Levi's own heart fluttering at the peace that graced its features despite its pain, thankful that the ruguire had not pushed him far enough to take the alpha's life simply for protecting its mate.

As the soft sounds of relief carried across the surface of the water, Levi made to back away, footfalls soft as he made it to the other shore, his teeth chattering as the adrenaline wore off, leaving him at the mercy of the frost and wind as it assaulted his bare skin through his soaked and tattered tunic. Making his way to the treeline, Levi flinched as his bare and blistered feet caught on a branch, the muffled 'oomf' catching the attention of the mates still on the opposite shore. In the space of a breath, the previously incapacitated alpha was pinning Levi to the nearest tree, forearm shoved against his already bruised windpipe. 

Levi raised his hands in surrender, tilting his head enough to show his submission, unwilling to put himself in danger when there were other ways to ensure he made it to Eren with enough strength to rescue him. 

_Rescue me?_ a voice rattle inside Levi's mind, causing him to jolt and send the already jittery alpha into a frenzy. Levi was too distracted by the voice to respond, the kelpie calming when it realized Levi was not going to attack. _Is that what you think, little pup? That I need to be **rescued** , alpha?_

~~~

Pain..pain...so much pain...the burning of the hot blades as they slid into his flesh sent shudders down Eren's spine. Kenny was beside him. The man's face was stoic save for the slight tilt of his lips as he enjoyed the scent of Eren's burning skin and muscle. A feral scream ripped itself from Eren's throat, his jaw nearly unhinged at the force of the sound as the scorching blade sunk into his flesh once more. Kenny kept the cuts shallow, only an inch or so deep, but let the pain of bubbling muscle and blistering skin do the rest of the work.

Eren slumped, losing consciousness momentarily before snapping awake at the pungent odor invading his nostrils as the mask was fashioned back around his face. Eren thrashed, only then realizing he had once more been restrained by cold, hard chains. The burns throbbed, the chains chafed, the cold stone burned his feet nearly as harshly as the scorching hot metal and Eren's mind struggled to focus on the overwhelming stimuli.

Eren's mind screamed _MATE!_ when the first notes of bergamot consumed him and his mind grasped at them like a lifeline. Relief flooded Eren's system as the darkness in his mind was expelled by that delectable scent, his muscles relaxing incrementally as it spread through him. When he slumped forward once more, from relaxation rather than exhaustion, he felt a shift in the air before him, another scent added to the bergamot that caused Eren's heart to stop in his chest. A burning fire began in his core, radiating through his chest. His eyes widened behind the blindfold, fearful that his heat was beginning again before realizing that this sensation was different, possibly even more debilitating than a wave of heat, not from pain, but from the overwhelming need to _tear, rip, rend, fight_.

A dark voice roared to life in Eren's mind, not the soft thoughts of what he had come to realize was the omega within, nor the comforting voice of Kuchel, even the low voice of the alpha he vaguely recognized as his mate in his memories did not match the one that now rattled inside his mind whispering words of pain, anger, and fear. Eren reeled back, jostling the chains as he tried to escape the screaming voice. Kenny grabbed Eren's wrists, holding him down as a wide-eyed Grisha took a second blade and sliced through Eren's scent gland in two swipes, mangling the skin and sending a howl bursting from deep in Eren's chest.

The sharp pain of the blade was nothing compared to the tear Eren felt ripple through his heart as he was marked with metal instead of teeth. Something was wrong. Something ancient and evil twisted within him as though his soul itself was revolting against the action, against anyone but his mate daring to mark him. Eren's eyes glowed, golden flames dancing in the irises as though they meant to burn through the blindfold. 

_Where is alpha?_ a voice darker than onyx dripped from Eren's lips. A wet, pink tongue darted out between them, moistening them as Eren let out another harsh breath. Eren scented the air, senses keener than they had ever been as the burn of cyelon powder worked its way through his veins, radiating from his mutilated scent gland and dripping down the back of his throat from where he had been forced to inhale it.

_Where is my mate?_ Eren said through a growl. 

Grisha and Kenny remained silent, eyes wide at the rumbling voice coming from the young man who up to that point had only screamed and begged. Eren scented the air again, picking up a trace of belladonna he had not noticed before. Beneath that, an even fainter scent of lemongrass lurked, shifting as though the beta wished to conceal itself even more than its already muted scent could. 

_Father? Did you come to play?_ Eren sneered, trembling in the chains, not with distress, but barely contained aggression. _Shall we see who begs for mercy now?_

Grisha made to respond, standing from where he had dropped to his knees at the dominating tone filling the small cell and bouncing off the stone walls in a symphony of murderous intent. Before he could move any further, Eren stiffened, hands clenching as his mind reached out. 

_Alpha_ Eren said, voice soft and fond as he found what he had been searching for. His eyes began to shift, emerald green giving way to blazing gold. Grisha surged forward, digging his fingers into the gland at Eren's neck and dislodging the blindfold in the process. He expected Eren to crumble, to give in like all the times before, but instead his eyes flared brighter, his teeth gnashing as he swiveled his head to snap at Grisha's hand. When Grisha cowered and made to move away, Kenny pushed him aside, growling at the scent of dominating alpha that was not his own slowly filling the room. 

Kenny's sharp fingers replaced Grisha's, his nails digging into the mangled flesh. Eren barely noticed the pressure or the pain, a dark calm invading his senses like tendrils pulling him under. Kenny pulled his nails from Eren's neck, uncaring of the gore lodged beneath them. Eren's eyes widened, no longer seeing the harsh lines of Kenny's sneering face. In its place were the soft features of a much younger man, smaller than Eren himself but stronger, jaw sharp and squared, steel grey eyes piercing, lips set in a tilted frown. After several moments, Eren recognized the man before him as the teenager from so many years ago, the one who had smelt of safety and home, the one whose scent had brought him the only sense of comfort besides Kuchel's voice that he had had for years. He tasted the iron of blood as it coating his tongue, his elongated fangs pressing into his lip and splitting it. Eren choked as though water were filling his lungs, his breaths short and labored as he fought against a river that was not there. 

_Fight, Levi,_ Eren urged, a foreign sense of hopelessness invading his mind, not from himself, but from far away, like a fog rolling in across hills in the distance. Eren pushed back against the feeling, worry swelling up beside conviction and courage. He recalled the moments when he had felt as though his torture would never end and the soft sounds of Kuchel's voice as it reminded him of his mate outside the stone walls. 

Eren felt a shift, something like a string tightening around his heart, the courage and resolve pulsing between himself and the man at the other end. Eren felt Levi gasp, air filling his own lungs as he inhaled deeply, the mask of bergamot and the cyelon powder drawing him between calm and aggression, murmuring softly to Levi as he tried to clear his mind and fight his own battle. 

Eren growled, the phantom weight of fingers closing around his throat forcing him to recall all the days at the mercy of Kenny's hands. He whipped his head around, foreign hands on him at the same time as Grisha was pulling the chains, lifting him higher until his toes barely touched the floor. He should have been more helpless like this, less able to maneuver himself towards them. Instead, he wrapped his hands around the chains from which he hung and pulled, nearly dragging Grisha along with it. The chains were only stopped when Kenny grabbed the ends, wrapping them around Eren's torso until his arms were pressed tightly behind him. 

_LEVI! Fight!_ Eren screamed aloud, thrashing about and attempting to dislodge Kenny as a lock was fitted into the chains, allowing the other man to step away without fear that Eren would escape again. Eren felt something dark bubbled up within him, a creeping desire to fix his hands around a throat and _squeeze_. He chuckled as the darkness swelled to a crescendo and crashed over him like the waves at the edge of the corryvreckan.

_Fight, alpha! Show me your strength._ Eren said, a smirk spreading across his face as he felt the same darkness answer back, ready to take the life of an unworthy creature. A chant of _kill, take_ thrummed through Eren's mind as his body went still. A low, rumbling sound echoed through the stone cell, the dual darkness tangling across the space between the two mates. 

Grisha and Kenny backed away from the room, the scent of cinnamon and rosemary overcome by the sage of a dominant alpha, cleansing the small room of their own scents and leaving them feeling vulnerable despite Eren's incapacitated state. As though sensing their departure even though they did not make a sound, Eren's body relaxed, his limbs folding in until he knelt on the floor. 

_Levi._ Eren whispered, his voice soft, relieved and calm as he eased Levi out of the effects of the ruguire now that he knew his mate was safe. Eren's breathing calmed, his own scent mingling pleasantly with Levi's in the stone cell. He closed his eyes and pushed gently against the bond, the answering calm from Levi soothing him further. He felt when Levi began to back away, felt the determination well within him, knew Levi had reaffirmed his mission to rescue Eren. 

_Is that what you think, little pup? That I need to be rescued?_ Eren mused into the darkness of the room, _It looks to me as though you are the one who needs to be saved, **alpha**._

Eren let out a roar of laughter and rage, the force sending Grisha and Kenny to their knees just outside the cell, Eren tugged at his chains, the metal creaking but holding as Grisha's eyes burned with excitement. 

"He's almost ready."


	8. Blight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this was a long time coming, and I appreciate everyone who has been so supportive in the comments and on tumblr and discord keeping me going to get this chapter out after a rough month. It's the longest yet, clocking in at over 7k, so I hope it's worth the wait. Please, as always, feel free to reach out via comments or tumblr if you have any questions or just want to poke at me about the story, and thank you all for your understanding about how long it took me to get back to each of your comments last chapter. Y'all are the best!

Silence. 

That's all Levi could hear. 

After a roar that would have sent him to his knees had he not still been pinned to the trunk of the tree by the kelpie echoed in his mind, the world went quiet and had remained so since. It surprised Levi how little he had acknowledged the tiny presence at the back of his consciousness. It had unknowingly kept him company in the weeks since he left the village, a whisper at the edge of his mind as he made his journey to find Eren. That small buzz present just at the fringe of his mind had reminded him that there was someone at the other end of the bond, a purpose he was striving towards if only he could cross the distance. But now there was nothing and it was deafening agony.

Moments after the silence began, the blond before Levi loosened his grip, his forearm coming away from Levi's throat just enough to allow him to gasp for breath. Levi was too far gone to care, reeling from the first few moments of silence and recognition that Eren was gone, that there was nothing there, that the string that had connected them hung loose and languid over the miles between them. 

The blonde turned to his companion, who by now had healed over most of the wound that Levi had caused, and huffed. The tall kelpie shook his head, motioning toward Levi's hands and t0 where the disease has started to seep into his skin, the dark charcoal clashing vividly with his porcelain skin. 

The kelpie took a moment, clearly unused to using human speech in this secluded wood with so few villages around, and prepared to speak. The rushing of the water in the stream only a few steps away filled Levi's ears, almost as deafening as the silence still taking up residence within his mind. As the blond finally released his grip, Levi's sank to the ground a scream ripped from his throat as the pain of lost coursed through him, adrenaline fading away and leaving a painful absence in its wake.

The omega crooned, something soft and low and wholly undeserved after the pain that Levi had caused him, but there nonetheless. Levi took a breath, fighting down instinct to tear out the omega's throat for not being the one the alpha tingling beneath his skin wanted. Instead, Levi allowed himself to breathe in the scent of fresh dirt, clear water, and the musk of the forest nestled behind him.

Levi released his grip on the earth beneath his fingers, barely sparing the mud caked beneath his nails a second glance before standing shakily to his feet. He dusted himself off as he braced against the onslaught of anger from his alpha at having lost and abandoned his omega. Guilt and disappointment coursed through him, that wicked voice within howling at the loss of his mate. Levi clenched his fists, willing the beast beneath his skin to settle, reminding it that just because the bond was silent did not mean Eren was gone. 

Taking staggering steps towards the sound of rushing water, Levi's made his way to the riverbank, plunging himself face-first into the water and letting the cool stream run through his hair. When he rose again, the kelpies were looking at him strangely, unsure of how to react to a person who was willingly drowning themselves instead of waiting for them to do it. The omega cooed, taking a liking to the strange little creature in front of them, stepping closer to poke at Levi as he rose once more from the riverbank. As the blond found his voice, he stepped forward, holding his large hand out in an attempt to greet Levi, their previous strife merely a memory pushed easily aside now that his mate was healed. Levi let out a low grow with a questioning lilt at the end as he reached his hand out and shook the offered hand. 

"You are an odd one," the blond said slowly, thick tongue slurring the words no matter how distinctly he tried to speak. 

Levi snorted despite himself, stepping away from the frigid, rushing water and moving to sit on the dry bank. The kelpies joined him, one on each flank as they observed the not-quite-human before them. With the rush of protectiveness gone, the fae observed the little alpha that sat sandwiched between them, presence much larger than his physical form and aura humming with something otherworldly. 

"Was it your mother who was fae?" the blond asked abruptly, looking fondly over towards his mate who was gently prodding at the soot that had stopped its ascent up Levi's arms. 

"What do you mean?" Levi asked, cocking his head to the side as he tried to swat away the touch of the omega, the odd and frigid sensation trailing behind its fingers leaving him uncomfortable and off-kilter, acutely aware of something _wrong_ about the touch. 

"Your presence," the blond replied, motioning erratically to the air surrounding Levi, "You've got fae in that blood of yours." His hands paused, palms open as though searching the space around Levi's form as if he were trying to physically feel the fairy dust coursing through his veins. Levi looked at him skeptically, trying to determine if the kelpie was just trying to trick him or if there was some truth behind the assertion. He figured it was likely that they could sense another fae, but it was strange to think none-the-less. 

Levi had always known his mother was different. Even in the few years he had known her, her actions spoke of knowledge deeper than even the eldest seer in the village. Their trips out to the circle of stones led to new bounties for themselves and the village after each visit, whether it be a fresh crop of barley, a halted frost, or a new calf, life seemed to prosper the more time he and his mother spent in the forest. Yet, Levi had always wondered why his mother could not save herself the night she passed, had wondered distantly if she had stopped herself from using her power to benefit just her, choosing instead to sacrifice all she had left for something greater, even if it left Levi alone in Kenny's harsh care. 

Levi had never known his father. He had known anecdotally that the man had died on a raid led by Kenny, that his sword had been laid at his mother's feet upon the company's return. But that was all before Levi was old enough to speak, old enough to harbor memories in his mind of a man who was said to be the most vicious of all of Kenny's warriors. Instead, he was blessed with the tender love his mother, a woman who could barely bring herself to hurt a fly, but who was vicious when it came to protecting her son. 

His mother had told him a story once of a fairy who'd fallen in love so desperately that she sacrificed everything of herself in order to become one of his kind. Kuchel had whispered softly as she pulled the blanket up to Levi's chin, weaving the tale of a lost little fae who had been playing in the forest around the old stone circle just beyond the border, when a young man from the nearby village came to pray and ask for a blessing before a great battle. The fairy had woven white heather blossoms in his hair and around his belt, tucking them into the pocket of his sporran to ease his worries. He had returned months later, laden with conquest and gifts for the fairy who had protected him so. He visited often, as though a thread tethered him to the fairy, even when she ventured away from her home in the stones. 

The young man had brought her gifts, arms filled with all manner of berries and seeds, crystals and rare petals to bestow upon the fairy. Each gift, from the tiniest seed to the largest jewels had swelled the fairy's heart, but nothing could sway her as much as the young man's voice as he regaled her with stories of his conquests. She returned the favor with tales of her own, the images coming to life before him as she told him the stories of the gods, the fae and the veil which shrouded them all. Each time she would send him away to battle with another blessing, 

They had grown close, the young man's charming smile and victorious stories drawing the fairy in, until one day, as he was preparing to leave her sanctuary in the stone circle, he asked her to leave with him. Her heart was split in two; one half desperate to follow the man she had grown to love, the other knowing that leaving with him would mean she could never truly return. Fae who left their kin and made the choice to cross the veil were cursed to live out their years under the judgment and torment of the _sluagh_ , cursed in whatever way the host saw fit. 

The little fairy had watched it happen to her brother, the greedy teen hungry for power as he watched the humans return to the nearby village with carts filled to the brim with the spoils of war, swords and kilts drenched in blood. His eyes had glowed, wings fluttering in the wind as he held himself back from joining them, from soaking his own pale hands with blood and reveling in the victory of the kill. She had been there the day his control broke. She had watched in horror as he ripped his wings from his back, blood staining his tunic and stepped out of the forest. He had used the last of his magic to cast a powerful spell, altering the memories of the clan returning to their village so he was seen as having always been their chief. 

The sluagh had punished her brother dearly, ripping away what was left of his soul and leaving him a heartless man where once was a kind and intelligent fairy. They had not issued their punishment right away, however, allowing him to prosper and rise among the clans of the highlands such that his fall was that much further, his punishment that much more complete. By the time the little fairy, eyes wide with love for the young man who had worked his way into her heart and wings bound to her back rather than shredded like those of her brother, had taken the first steps outside the forest, her brother was a shell of his former self. 

She did not yet know what her own punishment would be, even as her belly swelled and her brother's clan turned vicious, minds poisoned by their chief as he sought to quench an insatiable thirst for conquest. She watched on as so many, her mate included, lost their lives under his heartless orders. She had kept her son safe from his influence, taught him the ways of the fairies even though she no longer was one, had brought him up to be warm and compassionate, to love as she had loved. 

Levi would ask every time the story would end, tiny voice floating through the quiet room as Kuchel shuffled about readying them for bed, as though he had not heard her answer a hundred times before, "But màthair, isn't she sad?" 

Kuchel would sit at the side of his cot, smoothing his raven hair from his forehead and tucking it behind Levi's ear. She would smile down on him so sweetly that tears would spring to his eyes, her love feeling like a blanket as it wrapped around him. 

"She never regretted her choice, ma prìseil," Kuchel would whisper, "her sacrifice had still been for love, not for the man she thought, but for the child wrapped tightly in her arms. "

Levi had always questioned the faraway look in his mother's eyes as she would tell him the story, the misty drops that collected on her eyelashes as she recounted the tale of a man who had wandered into the forest in search of the fairies and found himself one to take home instead. Levi had asked her many times, tiny little hands reaching out to brush away a tear that had fallen down her cheek if she was the fairy in the story, the beautiful princess who had flitted from leaf to leaf only to find a big brute of a man who captured her fancy. She'd giggled, hands coming up to cup his tiny cheeks as she smiled. 

"Now that would just ruin the story wouldn't it, my little prince," she would say, cooing as Levi scrunched his nose against her affections, "and we certainly wouldn't want to ruin your favorite story."

Levi remembered the night she had died as clear as day, the draids memories seeping into his own to create a full picture of her offering. She had sacrificed her life, not for him but for his mate. She had given everything of herself so his mate could exist within this realm, instead of remaining trapped on the other side, to bring Levi happiness she herself could never have.

"You remind me of a fairy I once knew," the tall kelpie said, stirring Levi from his thoughts. The omega looked over Levi's distinct features as he shuffled closer, taking in the cut of his jaw, his raven black hair, the glow of his ivory skin, "Your aura feels like her too." 

"You can't have known my mother," Levi scoffed, looking at the kelpie who appeared at least 10 years his Junior. 

"You'd be surprised at how well we age," the omega laughed, looking to his mate and giving the blond a wink, laughing when the brute blushed crimson.

Levi stared back at the omega, silver eyes narrowing in accusation before settling on something whistful as he turned his gaze back to the rushing water of the stream and the glitter of ice at its banks. "My mother died many years ago," he supplied, "Her name was Kuchel. There were rumors, to be sure, but she would never confirm them. My uncle Kenney was the furthest thing from fae I'd ever met, so it doesn't make sense. I met a draid several days ago. They showed me the truth of how she died, but nothing more." 

The blond kelpie chuckled, the alpha pulling his mate close as they observed Levi. "The draid never tell you the whole truth, little alpha," the blond said, nuzzling into the tall omega's hair as the other swatted at him, "they say just enough to lead you on your way. Speaking of which, where is your journey taking you?"

Levi squeezed his eyes shut, heart pounding as he reached out for Eren once more. Levi had tried everything in the hours since his fight with the kelpies. They had given him space interspersed with their conversation as the blond had tended to his mate's shoulder or gone in search of food for their rumbling bellies. During each pause, Levi had tried to meditate and pray, had tried anything he could to get that presence to assure him that Eren was still there. He begged for anything that would tell him he wasn't alone and Eren still existed somewhere on the other end of that tiny string that he hoped still connected them. Emptiness filled him and the black soot of the ruguire traveled through his veins as though poison was seeping into his very soul.

"What brings you out here, little human?" the blond tried again, eying Levi skeptically as the alpha tried to reign in his desperate and grieving scent. 

"I'm saving my mate," Levi replied after gaining control once more. The blonde looked at him skeptically, eyes scanning over the lack of bite mark at Levi's scent glands, sniffing absently at the air to see if he could detect the scent of an omega entwined with Levi's own, then finally let his eyes rest on the soot still settled on the tips of Levi's fingers. 

"Doesn't look like you have a mate to me," the blond grunted, dragging his omega a little bit closer, as though protecting him from the wild beast that sat before them. 

"I guess you're right," Levi said, finding himself suddenly rubbing his hand against his scent gland and startling a bit when he felt the tingle of a presence for a moment before it disappeared and left the hollow feeling once more. Levi raised his hand again, trailing his fingertips against the gland and feeling something warm spreading through his chest, deflating when he still could not feel Eren. 

"Half my soul lives in someone else," he said frankly, expecting the blonde to respond with a laugh or sarcastic comment. Instead, he was met with sympathetic eyes and a sad down turning of the alpha's lips. 

"The name is Reiner," the blond said, speaking up after several minutes of quiet as he eyed Levi, watching as he rubbed absently at his chest where it still felt warm, "My mate's name is Berthold, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to attack him again." His voice was not unkind, a tension leaving Levi that he had not known he held. 

"I'm sorry for that," Levi said, doing his best to look apologetic, although his face barely morphed from its stoic position. Levi held up his hands and wiggled his fingers as though it was all the explanation that he needed to explain why he attacked. Reiner hummed, curious as he reached out and grabbed Levi's hand from the air, ignoring the growl that resonated in Levi's chest as his fingers were poked and prodded. 

"Do you know what this is?" Reiner asked after several moments. 

"Of course I do," Levi said incredulously, "it's the ruguire. I've been 10 seasons without a mate after presenting. While there hasn't been a rogue in my village for generations, the stories have been passed down." Levi eyed the couple curiously as they observed him, sorrow settling on their countenances that he attributed to pity. "It came on the worst about a month ago and I knew I had to get away from the village before the next season," he continued, trying to provide context and unsure how a fae could not know about the ruguire since all the stories attributed it to their kind as a method of keeping the natural order. 

"What exactly do you think the ruguire is?" Reiner asked, voice gone soft and patronizing as though he thought Levi knew nothing of what he spoke. 

"The stories say the ruguire is a disease that creeps into the soul of its host alpha, allowing the beast to take over and forcing them to mate, even if there are no suitable or available mates around," Levi replied confidently, "They say the fae spur it on, ensuring that alphas find a mate and breed while they are still useful even if they themselves would rather not. If nothing else, the stories help motivate people to focus on keeping the clan alive for generations to come. I don't want to do that to my friends and I don't want to do that to my village," Levi said emphatically. 

"You've got it wrong, little alpha," Reiner replied, sighing as he began his explanation, "the ruguire is a blighted bond, nature trying to show you how something is eating away at the bond by physically manifesting itself within you. Your mate on the other end isn't faring any better, maybe not in the same way but there's something else happening, a change coming over him. Can you feel him?" Rainer asked. 

"I could until just after we fought," Levi conceded, eyes gone dark with worry as the hollow feeling in his chest called for his attention, wondering if their bond was truly in that much danger. He mulled over the words, trying to decipher the deeper meaning that was beneath. His eyes shot open, realization dawning on him as Reiner chuckled.

"Finally got it, did ya?" 

"Bond---," Levi whispered, "I knew we were connected, had even called it a bond in my head, but you are implying there is a full bond. I don't understand. How can we be bonded? I've only ever seen him twice and we certainly haven't mated."

"Aye. The stories get twisted over the years, morphed into something with only a grain of the truth it once was," Berthold began, voice softer even as he chuckled morbidly through the sentiment. 

"I'm guessing the last time you saw him was when you presented, yes? Probably about nine seasons ago?" Reiner questioned. Levi nodded, still cautious of the pair before him but unable to bring himself to leave just yet, hopeful that what they might share could aid him on his journey. 

"Aye," Raynor said, looking at Levi with sorrow in his gaze, "You've heard of the _tiormach_ , yes, the drought?"

"I have heard the term, but nothing more," Levi answered curiously, head cocked to the side as he tried to anticipate what the other alpha was trying to tell him.

"Well," Rainer began with a sigh, "the _tiormach_ is when an alpha abandons their omega. It leaves them starved for the connection that was once there. The alpha is not unaffected, but more as though they are the clouds that pass over the moors, observing as the life beneath them dies while they themselves refuse to provide the nourishing hydration life so desperately begs them for." Reiner paused, shuddering in a breath before he steeled himself to continue, "That is what an alpha does who abandons his omega. They watch on, whether through their bond or directly in front of them as the person they once tied themselves to, once called mate, withers before them."

Levi startled at the sound of his own growl that had begun low in his throat, a note of aggression towards the nameless alpha who would treat their mate in such a way. The sound cut through the crisp air, low rumble overtaking the sound of the rushing water. 

"It is a truly cruel Alpha who abandons his omega in this way, refusing to give them the attachment they so need," Reiner's own voice was laced with aggression, his lip curling back from flashing white teeth before he shook his head and settled himself, "The _ceal_ , the end, that is known well to you though, right?"

Levi nodded, memories of omegas wailing when their mates did not return from battle flashed before his eyes, their skin paling as the alpha's swords were laid at their feet. The sounds had been full of sorrow but not surprise; they had already felt the death of their mate, the slow drawing of the bond between them as the one they were tied to passed into a realm to which they could not yet follow. Levi had often had to run from them, the sound piercing to his young ears, spurring a dark twist in his gut that he could not place at the time, a worry or memory urging him to _find _.__

__Levi noticed absently that Rainer had pulled Bertholdt closer during this recitation, as though this was something that either one or both of them had experienced first-hand or at least observed. Reiner cleared his throat, the sound wet as though he was keeping back tears._ _

__"The blight might be worse," Rainer continued, "the blight, or the ruguire as you call it, is not well known outside the fae. Your kind has thankfully been spared from it, the obliviousness of humans an advantage as they have not often discovered its uses." Reiner buried his nose in his mate's neck, seeking comfort in his omega's scent as he readied himself to continue._ _

__"The blight is when an alpha and omega are separated forcefully, violently, and against their will," Bertholdt's voice was quiet as he picked up for his mate before Reiner could begin again, Levi leaned forward, propping his forearms on his knees and hanging his head between his shoulders as though waiting for his execution._ _

__Bertholdt leaned against Reiner as he continued, voice still soft and weighted with the gravity of the topic, "When two creatures who are destined to be with one another, who have tied themselves to one another with the magic of the fae through their mating bite, are pulled apart unwillingly, nature forces upon them the strength to reunite again."_ _

__Levi perked up at that, recognizing the strength that had suddenly overcome him all those weeks ago, the drive that had pushed all other thoughts from his mind. He slumped again, confusion causing him to furrow his brow as he tried to piece the information together. He and Eren were bonded, but not in the way Bertholdt was describing. His heart stuttered at the realization that he had laid eyes on the man he called mate, the man he had abandoned his clan to find, only twice before. Levi made to interrupt, his mouth opening and then closing again when he could not find the words to express his confusion._ _

__With a placating gesture towards the reeling alpha, Reiner continued where his mate had left off, "What nature so often forgets is that they were pulled apart for a reason, by someone. There is something in the way that truly keeps them apart. These are the rogue omegas who will kill anything in their path, destroy even themselves in order to return to their alpha. These are the alphas who will tear through the country, decimating villages if only to see their omega again. The soot you see on your fingers, that you can't wash off no matter how many times you try, no matter how hard you scrub, is the magic of the fae overloading your system, forcing you to find that mate of yours."_ _

__"But that's just thing," Levi finally interjected, "we haven't mated."_ _

__"Maybe not in the traditional sense," Reiner chuckled, "but by all rights, nature considers him your other half. You said yourself half your soul resides in him. If you don't consider that mated, I feel sorry for the little omega on the other end."_ _

__Levi let out a sharp growl, uncomfortable with the implication that he might question his bond with Eren, even though he himself did not know how it had developed. He huffed, shaking his fringe from where it had fallen into his eyes in his sulking. "So what happens if I don't find Eren," Levi asked, forcing his hands not to shake, gripping his thighs instead to keep from wringing his hands in front of him. Now and then his hands would loosen their grip, fingers idly scratching at the marks that had continued to travel up his arms but had paused for the time being. "I need to do whatever I need to do to get to him but I don't want to put innocent people in danger," he whispered._ _

__"We need to get you to the washerwoman," Reiner announced._ _

__"The washerwoman is only useful to those who will die soon, " Levi said matter-of-factly as though it was something that all people should know._ _

__Levi startled as Bertholdt, who had previously been still as a statue as he listened to Reiner recount what was clearly a hard topic for them to discuss, adjusted his position next to his mate, his voice soft as he continued where Reinier had left off. "That's what you might think. What many fail to take the time to learn is that if you catch her off guard, sneak up behind her before she notices that you are there, she will answer you three questions with truth. Just catching her is not enough, however, you must give her three truths in return. Should you not know the answers to her questions, your opportunity will be lost and your life will be forfeit. Do not take her for granted."_ _

__Levi's stared at the ground, digging his toes into the dirt and noticing the frost that had formed in a thin layer atop everything surrounding the stream. His feet were numb, his fingers not far behind. He had known that getting to Eren would not be easy, that finding the omega that he could just barely remember at the edges of his mind would lead him down a path that he may not be able to return from. But still, the drive was there. The overwhelming need to find Eren, to protect him and save him from whatever was going wrong right then was burning in his veins. Levi closed his eyes and focused intently on the warmth that slowly spread through his chest as he focused. On a whim, he chanced to speak his mate's name in his mind. Calling for Eren, desperate to hear him again._ _

__Although he was not met with the loud, clear voice of his mate he had heard when he was fighting, there was a pressure there, a presence that calmed his frayed nerves and told him that Eren was still on the other end of that connection. He was listening through a fog, Eren's presence still there but somehow dormant. Levi felt as though he was walking across the surface of a still lake, the torturous, treacherous steps beneath him causing him to falter but driven ever forward by the promise of Eren on the other side. At any moment the goddess could send her monster to rear its head above the surface of the loch and steal him away, away from Eren; swallow him whole and ensure he would never hurt anyone again, but also extinguish any possibility of standing at his mate's side. But he was stronger than that, stronger than allowing himself to be consumed by a monster, including the monster that was himself._ _

____

~~~

Eren felt a warmth spreading through his chest. A gentle push against his consciousness as though someone was trying to reach out to him. He had gone lax, his chained body exhausted after its previous outburst, an odd sense of satisfaction spreading through his bones, instincts twisting and preening in contentment. Relief washed over him, barely understanding the powerful feeling that passed through him. _Mate is okay_ something dark and deep whispered within him, _we saved him. He fought for us._

Eren licked his lips, mouth gone dry from his outburst and throat scratchy from the growl that had ripped its way through his unused vocal cords. That darkness still twisted in his belly, urging him to fight and pull away from the chains still binding him, but his body was far too weak.

Eren shifted gently in his chains, gasping as the already torn and sensitive skin of his wrists and ankles split further. Steam immediately filled the air as his wounds began to heal the more he kept himself calm and allowed his strength to return. He felt a trickle of blood against his shoulder where it dribbled from his scent gland, the marred skin pulling apart from the metal that had been pressed where teeth should have been. He watched as blood stained his tunic and dripped down his chest beneath the fabric, leaving little rivulets in its path. 

The scent of copper was strong in his nose but something much sweeter hung in the air as well. The scent of Levi, not produced by any artificial means like had been done previously, but something real and tangible that sat in the back of his throat and spurred him into wakefulness.

A low growl turned in his gut as the door cracked open, the scent of Grisha and Kenny's fear hanging heavily in the air as the door was opened. He fought against the chains with renewed vigor, ignoring the pain that shot from his wrists as he pulled. Dust fell from the ceiling as the chains jostled where they were anchored above him.

His father's wide grin surprised him, his own green eyes, peeking from behind his blindfold where he had jostled it loose in his struggle, met those of his father's. It had been so long since he had seen his father's gaze, but it held no relief. He had known, even as the blindfold had been secured around his eyes many months ago, that his pain still originated with his father, even if it was Levi doing his bidding. It was his punishment, his deserved treatment for being born, for causing harm to come to his mother, for being an unworthy mate. 

Eren waited and waited as Grisha stood observing him from the doorway, Kenny standing lazily beside him, shoulder leaning against the frame. He waited for the warmth that had started to spread through his chest to return. He waited for the voice he had heard echoing in his mind to return. He waited for the wash of relief that overcame him to return. Instead, under the scrutiny of the two men's gaze, all he was left with was silence. Eren pressed forward again, hearing Levi's name echoing through his mind but in his own voice rather than the deep timbre that had come previously. His body felt numb, lax in the chains even as he struggled minutely in his prison.

Grisha and Kenny finally dared to enter. Grisha's lips pulled back from his teeth, face split with a grin is he observed Eren and his dulled senses. Kenny stood straighter, looking at the boy, perplexed as though trying to figure out what had changed. The alpha sniffed the air and attempted to determine what shift had occurred within the room while they were cowering in the hallway. Eren could still smell their fear, their aggravation at having been caught off guard. 

Eren assessed his injuries, taking Kenney's own curiosity as a signal to take stock of his situation. The smell of cyelon powder still stung his nose but the dull ache in his scent gland was the most jarring reminder of his transformation. The darkness that had previously made its weak presence known was now twisting and rolling about in his gut, as though itching to burst through his skin. Eren could remember the voice that had poured from his mouth, not his own but something more ancient and twisted that it come from his very soul. He remembered the rumbling voice of an ancient alpha returning his sentiment, promising both violence and comfort in the same breath as he fought back against whomever he had been fighting.

Time seemed to tick by slowly, Grisha taking diligent notes as Eren swayed in his chains, a sudden burst of energy now and then allowing him to yank at them, blinking as more dust fell from the ceiling as he jostled them in their hold. Each new burst of effort left him more exhausted than the last, his muscles numbing against his own exertion. 

_Alpha would be proud_ that dark voice twisted within him. _We fought well. But we have not fought enough,_ it said, a growl spurring from his throat as Grisha took a step nearer. 

Kenny circled behind Eren's back. Eren's instincts sparked with frustration as he lost sight of the threat. A growl ripped from his throat as that ancient beast within him prepared his body to fight despite the bone-deep exhaustion that had settled. His muscles tensed, poised to strike like a cobra from a basket. Kenny chanced a step closer, the smell of the alpha stinging Eren's nose. It was not Levi's; it was not his alpha's; it was _wrong_.

Eren snarled, teeth too big for his mouth but his body too exhausted to fight back. _Levi, Levi, Levi,_ echoed in his mind over and over again until it was a mantra, a prayer to keep him going and focus himself. Levi's scent had not dissipated. That reminder of something clean and safe intertwined with the fear of where he was, what had happened to him the last time he had smelled that scent, even if he could recognize the light, artificial undertones of what he'd been presented with over the last several years as it contrasted to what sat in his nose after his outburst. He saw the match being lit, little stick of incense being set aflame perched atop the basin. He tilted his head curiously, not understanding what he was seeing until the wave of Levi' scent hit him.

"No," Eren murmured, voice low and deep even as exhausted arms rattled in his chains. Kenny rounded his side, his grin something so evil that Eren almost flinched. 

"You're just a weak little omega. You can't say no," Kenny said, teeth flashing behind thin lips as his grin grew. Grisha, for his part, still stood at the other side of the room, observing curiously as Eren and Kenny interacted. Eren saw the glint of Kenny's knife out of the corner of his eye, the silver flashing in the dim lamplight. Kenny smiled again as he watched Eren trying to twist away from the blade as it inched closer.

Kenny was slow, purposely so, allowing Eren to fully absorb what was about to happen before the blade slid through his flesh. Even through the pain, Eren tried to sniff the air, scent out anything but the smell of Levi that hung heavy in the smoke. He could sense nothing. There was nothing of Kenny, nothing of Grisha. They were ghosts, there in front of his eyes but his instincts told him they did not exist. His mind muddled through the fog, trying to pick out anything he could to let him know that it was not his mate causing him pain once again. 

Eren tried to slow his mind and rein in the beast within. The man in front of him could not be his mate. This alpha barely resembled the young boy that had smelled so perfect all those years ago, that had sparked the voice within him for the first time. But the scent couldn't be a lie. His instincts refused to recognize the connection between when this scent had first replaced the one sitting heavy in his nose and when the incense had been lit. The darkness within him kept calling to his mate, to the scent he felt invading every nerve in his body, even though his eyes could not reconcile the image before him.

Eren tried to let his rationality rule, to talk himself through the fact that no, this was Grisha and the man that always caused him harm. That the scent was not Levi's own. By then he had lost the ability to identify the slight artificial undertone that he had held onto moments before, his instincts riled to such an extent that they refused to believe that anything other than Levi was in front of him, the beast within telling him that his eyes were deceiving him, not his nose. Eren's instincts told him that this was the real Levi, that the scent from before was an imposter, trying to rip him from his mate. The beast within howled, relishing in the pain that accompanied the scent as it meant mate was near and he had the opportunity to please him. 

Eren slowly lost the will to fight it, allowing his instincts to creep in and himself to go pliant at the hands of Kenny and Grisha. Another match, another stick of incense lit. Even though his eyes told him that it was Grisha's hands coaxing that sent into the room, the smell of pleasure and happiness intertwining with Levi's, the beast told him that this was good, he had done well. Eren relaxed into it, allowed the searing pain to shoot through his nerves with the only explanation and the only comfort being that his mate was happy. 

Eren felt the pressure at the edges of his consciousness, the slow pull as though a string was tied to his heart, tugging him out of the room and closer to something. The darkness within stuttered, not understanding why he was being pulled away through bonding instinct when, as far as it was concerned, his mate was right in front of him. The pressure continued and Eren desperately wanted to rub at the ache spreading through his chest. He tried to reach it, but his hands still chained to the ceiling refused to budge. 

In a frustrated outburst, Eren mustered his last bit of strength and tugged violently against the chains, dislocating his thumb and finally slipping a hand through the manacles above his head. By the time Eren had reached for his chest to soothe away the ache blossoming there, Kenny was on him, grasping Eren's hand, resetting the joint and clasping his hand back into the manacles before Eren could so much as growl.

Eren cringed at the whimper that broke through his lips as the skin tore once again around his wrists. The sound made anger spike within him, furious with himself for feeling so weak. His mind was at war, angry at his mate for hurting him, angry at the men before him for causing him such confusion, and furious with the fae for abandoning him. He twisted and turned, energy coming back slowly as he allowed himself to breathe in the scent of mate, of happiness, even as the blade resumed its path through his flesh. Grisha's grin grew wider as Eren begin began to thrash, his strength building and the dust falling from the ceiling where his chains were latched. 

"Keep going," Grisha urged Kenny, the other man's grin growing wider as he continued to slice and tear at Eren's skin, steam rising more rapidly and filling the room with the hot miasma of blood, scent, steam, and sweat. 

Beyond the pain, Eren felt Levi pushing at their bond, a reminder that he was there and present, something warm and open welcoming him to cross through. But Eren couldn't respond quite loud enough, couldn't break through that little bit of fog to hear Levi voice again. He was left with just a feeling, confusing to his instincts that Levi felt so far away through their bond but was right before him. Grisha continued to murmur as Eren pushed further and further, furious that he couldn't build enough strength to pull the chains from the ceiling.

_If you'd loosen them, we could break free. We could hold him beneath us and keep him for ourselves,_ said the darkness twisting within him, _Mate could not leave us then, once we have our teeth in him. We will not let the imposter come and take us from him. He's right in front of us. We can have him_. At that moment, another burst of Levi's scent filled his nose as Grisha lit another flame. A shot of anger went through him as he thought of the imposter who's scent he could no longer catch, instincts riled at no longer sensing the threat.

"I'll kill you," Eren growled, eyes glazed over as he spoke into the void, a beastly sound echoing against the walls. Crackling light filled the little cell as his eyes glowed. The sound covered up the excited muttering of Grisha, the man turning to Kenny with a nod and a wide grin plastered on his face as Eren continued to spit and snarl at nothing, twisting in his chains as though trying to protect the Levi he perceived in front of him from the imposter he expected to burst through the door at any moment. "I’ll rip you apart… Tear you to shreds…Rip you into tiny pieces and lay your head at my mate's feet so he knows I am his and his alone."


	9. The Washerwoman

Levi spent the better part of the next day warming himself up after a fridged night spent in the open. The kelpies had offered him a spot near their warm nest, tucked beneath an overhand not more than a faw's length down the stream. Levi had promptly declined, choosing to weather the chill in nothing more than his tunic and kilt with leaves pushed against himself rather than intrude upon their den. It had been difficult to settle, Levi's bones aching beneath his muscle. Everything hurt, as though he had gone through an entire rut without relief, mind running mad with need and agitation. 

His mind swam with pain, both his own and a phantom pressure that was tugging against it. Eren was questioning the bond, shying away from the attempts Levi was making to communicate with him. Levi tried to feel out where his other half was but was met with resistance, as though Eren did not want to be found. When his link with Eren was the most frantic, the scent of cinnamon and pungent cardamom spiked in his nose causing him to twitch and sneeze. The undulations of emotion kept Levi tightly wound, unable to settle down with a yearning to _go_ twitching through his muscles. Sleep had finally taken him, but only once the bond had calmed as Eren seemly drifted through the veil of dreams as well.

Once first light broke, Levi gathered sticks and branches from the edge of the forest, mindful of the distance from the misty bank of the stream, ensuring they were dry enough to light the fire that helped him regain some of the warmth he had lost once Eren's presence had faded. He hadn't realized how much that tingling in his core that reminded him Eren was with him had kept him warm and strong. Now, he felt the itching of the tainted bond beneath his skin. He knew something was wrong. Something was off in the way that the brushes against his consciousness became frantic, then calm, silencing before becoming frantic once more. 

The kelpies kept a close eye on him, his erratic movements, the twitching of his brow and the frantic way in which he began to pack his meager supplies for the journey ahead. He felt both rushed and stalled, as though he needed to take his time and plan every movement meticulously. He was frantic to find Eren, to protect him from whatever horrors were keeping them apart, but he knew that should he fail to approach the washerwoman with measured steps, his journey would be over before it truly began. Eren was out there waiting for him and he wasn't going to miss the opportunity to find him. Levi refused to miss the chance to see his mate once more and feel him wrapped securely in his arms because of his own inability to strategize. 

Levi realized with a start that he had never actually touched his mate. That young child who had lured him out of the castle had been so close, close enough to smell his skin and his scent and be calmed by Levi's own, but never close enough to touch. When Levi had met Eren when he was just a teen, on the day he had presented, he had once again been ripped away from Eren before he could touch the boy. Levi's fingertips twitched with the memory, with the need to feel what he imagined was soft smooth skin beneath them. His teeth ached to bury themselves into soft tissue, and his cock throbbed with the need to plunge itself inside of his mate. He looked down to see the soot of the ruguire climbing back up his arms and took a breath to calm himself. Levi reached out to Eren once more without words, only a gentle tug on the string of their bond. Their connection trembled, a shuddering gasp of release before going lax once again.

Levi shook his head, glancing over to where the kelpies were standing. Reiner was positioned slightly in front of Bertholdt, arms slightly outstretched as though to shield his mate. Levi's scent must have told them what was happening, what memories and desires were swirling in the depths of his mind. Lust, aggression, and despair rolled off of him in waves. He took another breath, schooling himself into the picture of indifference. It would not do for the washerwoman to notice his scent before he could even get close. 

Within the day, Levi had fashioned himself a pack out of bits of torn cloth the kelpies had gathered for him from their own supplies. Berries were gathered in his satchel and his kilt was wrapped once more around his waist where he had mended the belt shorn in two during his fight. His tunic still hung torn and tattered around his shoulders but at least provided some comfort against the blowing wind and would shield him once he got out on the moors should that be where his journey carried him.

"Follow the water," Reiner said, giving him a nod of solidarity and good fortune before stepping to the side as Bertholdt begin to say his piece as well. 

"Remember to take your time," Bertholdt said, wary of Levi's antsy behavior and clearly knowing the man was itching to get away and begin his journey towards the washerwoman where he could finally find answers, "If you don't take your time, she'll hear you or she'll sense you and it'll all be over."

Levi's stoic, sharp gaze flicked between the couple and the edge of the wood before he nodded, turned abruptly, and set forth. Levi did as told, following the river for nearly three nights. As much as he wanted to push forward when he felt his limbs trembling from exertion, he forced himself to climb into the trees for an hour or so to sleep before continuing on. Each night, a sorrowful howl would echo through the clear air, familiar in tone but too far away to identify. It left Levi feeling bereft, lonelier than before. Now and then Levi tried to push against the bond, feeling for Eren, seeking out evidence of his presence. But each time he tried he was met with silence, the tingling sensation of a presence just out of reach, but no voice. Levi could not understand why he felt such a longing for a voice he'd heard for the first time mere days ago, but there had been something about finally hearing his mate's voice and the _darkness_ in it, that drove Levi forward., an answering darkness rearing its head within him. He fought against the desire to tear the land asunder in his efforts to find his mate and his muscles spasmed with the desire to carve his own path through anything that lay in his way. 

The sun began to rise in the sky after a cold night Levi had spent tracing the stream's edge. He had struggled to remain upright, denying himself the rest he so desperately needed in order to safely navigate the dark and treacherous banks. He had felt something nearby, not the brushes of Eren's consciousness but something physically near him that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He paused, crouching low and listening carefully until a low howl rang through the forest. He had thought the howls in the night were his memories, spinning sounds that brought him a feeling of home when he was so far from it. 

He would know those howls anywhere, Maria and Sina, their howls much closer than any night before. They must have finally escaped Hange's grasp. Levi knew the other alpha would have taken them in, would have cared for them in his stead when he left in such a rush. To think they had followed him after so many days sent a jolt through him that both worried him that he had been so obvious in the path he had left behind him in his travels and elated that he now had a little more family with him. They would know his sorrow and feel his pain, but maybe just maybe they could also help him find Eren. The hounds had always had a little fae in them, whether from the way they were blessed by Levi's mother or because of their many trips to the stone circle as pups, and had always been in tune with the world in a way no one else was.

Levi waited, still crouched and unmoving as he listened, the howls and barks getting louder until the crunch of leaves and brush became a symphony all around him. Before long he was toppled to the ground by the two deerhounds as they tackled him at once. For a moment, a small smile crept across his lips, the corners lifting as he buried his nose in their soft fur and remembered home. The word churned something in his core, a feeling as though it no longer fit. He inhaled deeply, smelling the earth and air and mist clinging to Sina's coat. He expected to feel calm, to smell home and let his memories soothe him, but home smelled better than this, as good as it was. Home smelt of cinnamon and rosemary. Home smelt of Eren. 

Levi inhaled one final breath before righting himself and pulling the hounds gently with him, each hand buried in one of their scruffs. They continued to lap and lick at his face, covering him in their own scent and trying to wash away the smell of sorrow that clung to his skin. Levi nuzzled them in return, hands carding through their fur before he stood and brushed himself off. They stood by his side as he surveyed his surroundings, the foreboding feeling of being watched dissipating quickly now that his companions were near. 

Regaining his sense of direction, Levi motioned for the hounds to follow silently. Their own training kicking in as they picked their way across the forest floor, nothing more than the whisper of a sound beneath their paws. They continued for what felt like hours, the hounds and Levi alike scenting the air in search of anything that could alert them of approaching danger. Suddenly, the forest parted on each side of the river bed, allowing Levi a wider view as the sun began to shine down into the clearing. 

Levi startled, seeing a lone figure at the other edge of the clearing across the water and down the banks. She was a young woman, a least a few years Levi's junior. Her long hair was tangled in a mess at the top of her head, dull blond strands hanging haphazardly from the clasp. The woman's shoulders sloped as she bent to wash clothing in the river. Her long fingers curled, nails caked with grime and gore as she washed the death-blood from the cloth. 

Levi could recall the stories his mother told him of this fae, the way the washerwoman would launder the clothes of those who would soon meet their end, preparing them for the journey into the veil. The _mnathan-nighe_ were a group of women who had died before their time, clothes stained with the blood of their passing but abandoned and left unclean, denied the proper rights of a clean passing into the veil. It was said if you came across the washerwoman and saw your own clothes being washed, you knew what was ahead of you. However, legend had it that if one proceeded with caution, there were tricks you could employ to attempt to change your fate.

As Levi approached, he kept well hidden at the treeline, mindful of his footing and ensuring he remained alert. He saw a single set of clothes she was tending to, a kilt in a haphazard pile, a pair of stockings to the side and neatly folded, and a tunic grasped tightly in her hands. Her long, unkempt nails scrubbed at the fabric, the river running red where the blood was washed from the collar. As she bent down to rinse the clothing of the suds she'd created from the soapwood ash she had used, Levi saw the knobs of her spine beneath the dress she wore.

Levi swallowed thickly, acutely aware of the risks as he recognized that this was his only chance to find Eren. He could not allow himself to miss this opportunity. If he did, Eren could be lost with no way for Levi to discern his location. Levi couldn't bear the thought of not finding the man his heart, mind, and body ached for.

Levi held his breath as his eyes flit from tree to tree, assessing the area, the clearing, and the woman herself. She had a glow about her, not something welcoming like the fairies he had seen when he was young, or the ones he had played with along with his mother, but something menacing. Something dark and unpleasant curled around her and settled at her ankles. She was thin, her long dirty fingers seemingly unnaturally knotted as she scrubbed at the clothing in her hand. He studied the cloth more closely, ensuring that they were not his own but saw no hint of the winged crest he can become so familiar with since Erwin assumed chiefdom of the clan. No, instead these were the clothes of an unclanned mercenary. Someone with no affiliation, no crest, not tartan, and no clan to accompany him as he passed through the veil. 

Levi took a moment to acknowledge the man whose clothing she washed, who would meet their end in the days nigh. A man who belonged to no one and who likely no one would mourn. It was not easy to live outside of a clan, residing outside the safety of clan walls and without an extended family to come to your aid. A man would need to have a great deal of individual power or something very valuable to trade in order to survive a life like that. Levi was only aware of one family who had succeeded. Bright green eyes flashed over his vision, the memory of the young boy trailing behind the doctor all those years ago and smelling so perfectly like home threatened to draw a growl from deep in his chest, putting everything in jeopardy. Levi breathed through his mouth, feeling the chill of the damp air ghost across his tongue as he steadied himself. 

Levi returned his attention to the fae and her task. The blood was heavy and thick, staining the water that passed through the clearing a deep dark red, as though a man's full life had drained entirely into the fabric. Levi shuttered, recognizing the viciousness with which someone had died to produce such an effect, having only seen such amounts while on the battlefield. No one deserved an end so vicious, except perhaps the man torturing Eren.

Levi's vision flash red as his mind played the memories imparted upon him by the draid. Visions of what his mate was going through played vividly before him. Levi felt the pain settle in his gut. The thought that he could not be there to protect Eren and that his mate was all alone, broken and in pain, nearly sent him mad with grief. He had always seen himself as a protector, always stood strong before aggressors and fought for what was his. But he had failed his mother, he had failed Isabel and Furlan, and now he had failed Eren. Should he not follow through with the washerwoman, he could lose the last family he had left as he refused to see Kenny as his family any longer. The grief churned in Levi's chest as his mind supplied him visions of a future without Eren, of the ruguire tearing him apart as the blighted bond turned him into a monster, nature creating an abomination in her last desperate attempts to fulfill her plan. It nearly brought him to his knees, his weight only supported on the tree trunk by his hand as his nails scraped bloodily against the bark.

_Protect mate, find him _the darkness swirled and murmured within him, threatening to break free and reveal his hiding place. Levi knew he must protect Eren, but being so far from the man, knowing that he would have to get there first, knowing that he would have to make his way however far it was before he could meet his mate and finally hold him made the desperation bubble to the surface, frustrated and confused as to why even with such a strong bond he could not track Eren. Worry swirled within him as he envisioned their first meeting, how he would know it was Eren before him when the time came.__

__Levi knew two things. The first was that he would recognize Eren's scent anywhere, the smell of it still stung the back of his throat and he could never forget the peace it brought him. The second was that the boy had to be somewhere in Scotland as even though he could not sense in what direction he should head, the bond did not seem that far away nor strained as though pulling across oceans. In fact, the bond was strong, stronger than it should have been without a bite at his neck but resilient none the less, something behind the veil connecting him to his lover._ _

__Levi once again took stock of the clearing, observing the washerwoman's movements. When she was properly distracted, he made his way along the edge of the forest to stand directly behind her but still well out of reach. Her bones were more prominent now, nothing more than skin stretched across a skeleton. As he observed, he saw something shift in her twitching limbs and her pallid skin. As she scrubbed, the blood seeping into the water with each swipe of her hand, color began to return to her features. Her lips began to plump, her skin to glow, her eyes brightening and her figure filling out the more she scrubbed._ _

__Levi appraised her, mind running wild as he assessed the lively looking fae before him, much different than the figure he had first come across. The woman began singing as she laundered the cloth, clearly pleased with the life that had returned to her features. Once she resembled more of a woman than a cadaver, Levi calculated his approach. Clearly, the fae had gained strength from feeding off the death blood and Levi recalled the stories of how the washerwoman was strong both in magic and cunning. It was then that it struck Levi how careful he must be if he were to ever reach Eren and how his earlier bravado at seeing her sickly form had been sorely mistaken._ _

__Levi willed himself to be calm, draining all emotion, the frustration, the pain, the guilt, and the fear out of himself as though he were simply a shell of the man he was. He knew that any energy could be read by the fae before him. Any disturbance he might create in the energy swirling around the clearing would surely alert her to his presence and he could not afford to jeopardize his journey when he was so close to finding answers. He breathed deeply, exhaling low and slow and quiet, dispersing the energy he was emitting before it could reach the clearing. He neutralized his aura, allowing the beast within to calm before he proceeded forward. It would not do to disturb her when he was so close to his goal._ _

__Levi padded forward, his bare feet seeking out purchase where no stone or leaf would shift beneath them. Silent steps carried him forward, fearful that the slightest misstep would reveal his presence. Levi had trained in the art of battle, using his skill in the field to bring his clan to victory time and time again, but never had his training been so important than in that moment. As much as he hated to, Levi had Kenny to thank for his stealth and ability to control his instincts. The alpha had tortured him endlessly with drills, ensuring Levi could move without detection, even among the fae. Levi felt as though his entire future rested on this, on his ability to catch the washerwoman off guard. He had never been tested so thoroughly._ _

__As smooth as a wildcat as it crossed the moors in search of prey, Levi moved forward, crouching low so is not to allow her senses to spread across him. His heart slowed as he measured his breaths, instincts and training alike guiding his movements. He was thankful for the warmth that had passed through the forest since he had left the kelpies as it had melted the frost and left the earth soft beneath his feet instead of crackling with cold. Although the chill still rested in the breeze in the air, all he cared about at that moment was that his sounds were muffled by the damp leaves and the sodden Earth._ _

__Within moments, Levi had crossed the clearing and was standing directly behind the washerwoman. Before he could even think of his next step, he had pressed two fingers into the nape of her neck directly across her spine. The motion was strange to him in a way he couldn't quite understand but he was confident in its purpose. He didn't know why he had done it but some innate instinct inside him told him that this was the right way to gain her attention without inciting an attack._ _

__The woman froze instantly, extremities turned to clear crystal creeping up her fingertips and encasing the dirty digits. Levi almost startled, nearly took his fingers off the nape of her neck, but something deep within him reminded him not to. Darkness whirled around his ankles, emendating from her and attempting to consume him but unable to touch him as something even darker within himself answered back._ _

__"You will answer me my truths," Levi demanded._ _

__"You've heard the legends well, little alpha," the washerwoman responded, "But did you not know you'd have to answer my truths as well?" Her now shiny blond hair caught the wind, pulling it back from her face to reveal piercing blue eyes and a vicious grin complete with deadly sharp teeth._ _

__"For every one of mine you answer correct, one then shall you receive in return," she continued, "But do not think I will go easy on you just because the fates have favored you until now."_ _

__Levi began to respond but paused, looking down at the ruguire as it crept up his fingers in response to the aggression pulled from him by the woman. The smirk crawling across her face was nearly rabid, but something grew within Levi that answered back. He felt the tug on his bond with Eren, as though his mate knew that something very dangerous was looming between them. Levi felt strength pouring through his bond, Eren giving everything of himself in response to the threat. After so long without any feeling from Eren, having him this close and this real and this present was a sensation that almost knocked Levi off his feet. He kept his balance, fingers pressed firmly into the nape of the woman's neck, his other hand curled around your shoulder to keep her steady. The tender skin beneath his fingertips quivered as though she was trying to run away but could not. He wondered absently how he knew just where to trigger her, how to keep her still, but did not dwell on it as she began to squirm in his grasp. As she settled, her voice echoed menacingly through the clearing._ _

__"Alright little Alpha, let us begin."_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for your continued patience and interest in this story. I'm so excited to continue sharing this journey with you and thank you as always for the kudos and comments, they fuel me in a way I cannot possibly thank you enough for.


	10. Truth

All right little Alpha", she said, lips curling back from pearly white teeth to reveal sharp canines and a wicked grin, "The first truth I request is: You are half-of-fae, where is your other half?"

Levi growled, angry and frustrated with the woman for asking of him the very thing for which he had sought her knowledge. His mind raced, fear curling in his gut as he realized that he might fail at the very first turn. As the wildfire of panic surged through him, he closed his eyes, curling his fingers into the washerwoman's shoulder to keep her from escaping. He recalled the lonely nights spent staring at the stars as they winked at him, pretending they were his mother putting on a show for him from behind the veil. He focused on the memory of her scent, the soft floral notes that blanketed him in safety when he was young. He thought of the way he would see her figure silhouetted in the clouds, or the way playing children would sound like Isabelle and Farlan running home from a day playing on the moors. 

Levi felt the whisper of breath passing by his ear in the voice he had only recently recognized as Eren's. At the thought of the boy, something shifted within him. The panic gave way to calmness as a breeze that felt as though it had traveled across impossible distances swept around him, tossing the leaves and brambles at his feet. It carried with it the smell of cinnamon and rosemary, breathing new life into his lungs and bringing a sense of peace to his mind he thought had passed with his mother. With new rationality he picked apart her question, breaths calm and even as he decided. His eyes closed again, Eren's scent washing over him. 

"He is," Levi answered simply mind flashing with thoughts of green eyes and tan skin.

The washerwoman hummed, mulling over his answer until finally deeming it infallible. "I will have to be more careful with my wording in the future," she grumbled, turning a sly eye towards Levi, "I believe, however, this means it is your turn to make a request of me."

Levi thought long and hard, wondering how best to word his question to ensure the washerwoman could not get out of it. He knew the legends, the way the washerwoman would twist words and construct puzzles to trick her adversary into telling a falsehood, while she herself shrouded her own answers behind confounding riddles. He could ask about Eren, about his location, about the _ruguire_ , about any number of things, but as desperate as Levi was to ensure the washerwoman divulged what would get him the closest to his mate the fastest, he settled for what would ensure that he was alive and sane when he got there.

"How can I stop the _ruguire_ from spreading?" Levi asked, confident in the simplicity of the question leaving no room for her tricks.

"Death," the washerwoman answered. She threw her head back, laughing as her blond curls brushed at the ground with the unnatural angle of her spine. 

"I can't lose at my own game, little runt."

Levi growled, angry and frustrated at her ability to subvert his question. He already knew his death would end the _ruguire_ , that was not a far stretch of the imagination by any means. Even with careful thought, she had already stolen one question away from him and he was left with one less opportunity to grow closer to finding Eren.

The washerwoman grinned, no less menacing than before, "I believe that means it's my turn."

Levi twisted his fingers, pressing harder against her nape in retaliation as she choked and squirmed under the pressure. She dug her heels into the muck at the edge of the stream, the cold water diverting with the movement to splash against their feet and curl around Levi's ankles. He shuddered at the chill and the slick mud that slid between his toes. 

"Ok little halfling, answer me this... What color do you favor?"

Levi tilted his head to the side before shrugging and answering as honestly as he could, same as before, "I don't know what it's called, but I saw it once in a dream, the most beautiful mixture of emeralds and the sea. I've searched everywhere for it, but have found nothing that quite matches its beauty since."

The washerwoman's lips curled in a snarl, antagonized by the calmness with which he answered and the honesty in his voice. She had defied so many that had come before him, her simple questions befuddling them as they tried to fight riddles that never existed. She prided herself on her ability to confound the most cunning of humans, but this little one had an ounce too much of fae in him, a connection beyond the veil, beyond even what she could see, that grounded him and guided him safely through her quandaries. 

Before she could taunt him any longer, Levi steadied his breath, calming his mind before asking, "What geographical landmark is Eren near?" The washerwoman's eyes glazed over at the question unlike before, gaze distant and unfocused. It was then that Levi realized she was bound by the veil as much as any other fae, a slave to its will as much as the winds were enslaved by Beira. Her body shook as the truth bubbled between her lips. 

"High above the moors, I soar, but close to the ground I rest," she began, voice taking on a guttural quality as though she were possessed by the Unseelie court themselves, "My head in the clouds I sit on my throne as my tears feed the fields at my feet." 

Levi bit back a growl, breath tight and short as he closed his eyes, picturing the maps and charts he had studied in his campaign meetings with Erwin. His eyes flashed gold behind closed eyelids, moving as though the maps were directly before him. 

"The am monadh range," Levi murmured, eyes opening and turning to the washerwoman with a smug smile. There was hope, a direction, though its sheer size and the danger of the terrain were enough to cause a shiver to run up his spine. He still might not make it in time. 

"If only you had the power you thought you wield," the washerwoman trilled, laugh bright and amused as she observed Levi's struggle, "But regardless, I believe it's my turn."

"Fine," Levi ground out as he twisted his fingers into the flesh at her collar. She grimaced, grin still wide across her pale face and pointed teeth digging into her plump lips

Her choked breaths stuttered as she regained her voice, slurred words spilling through dry, chapped lips that were quickly losing their color the longer she separated from the blood of her spoils. Despite this, her face softened, her mind no longer keen to trap him in his truths. Melancholy took over her features as the glimpses of the deaths that could befall the man before her flashed behind her fluttering eyes, "Are you willing to fight against yourself for your mate?"

"I would never harm him," Levi answered quickly, taken aback by the straightforwardness of the question. He did not have to look deep, did not need to dig within himself for the answer. In their few brief contacts, Levi had felt the blooming connection, the desire not just to take and mate but to build a life with Eren. He had been so broken the last time Levi had seen him and the handkerchief that had been passed to him several years ago that smelt of blood and heat and sent him into a pseudo-rut had been evidence enough of Eren's suffering. But the past few weeks, the mind-numbing pain and phantom fear that coursed through his veins, not quite his own but visceral and burning, only drove him further towards his need to comfort and protect, to build a future for Eren in which he could revel in the safety he had not experienced in years. 

She seemed satisfied with this, his burning silver eyes setting the dusky clearing aglow. She settled in his grip, mouth unmoving and breathing even as he pondered his next question. 

"I won't lose to your mind games," Levi sighed, thoughts racing as to how to win at her pitiful game with only one opportunity remaining, "Your last question was straightforward; you have not taken the opportunity to send me to my early grave, but I recognize that does not mean you will be so forthcoming with your own truths. " He rubbed at his forehead with the hand that had been gripping tightly to her shoulder, unconcerned with her escape at this stage of their game. So far, he had little; an answer he already knew and a location that gave him an area that would take nearly a year to search thoroughly without interference from bandits, mercenaries or other clansmen.

Levi felt another breath of Eren's scent surround him, whether conjured by his mind, provided by the fae, or sent by Eren himself, he could not be sure, but it seeped into his lungs and spread warmth throughout him. 

"What can I use to lead me to Eren?" Levi finally settled on, nerves alight with trepidation. He stepped back as the washerwoman's eyes glazed over once more, her form going lax in his grip but remaining standing in some ethereal, twisted, and altogether unsettling form. 

"Deep beneath stone and wood and Earth, I hide a secret since my birth... in dark in light in fear and fright my true nature is revealed at night."

Levi's brow furrowed, releasing his grip on her entirely as he took in her final answer. He had known to expect riddles, puzzles, and half-truths but he did not expect something so complicated as this. He knew his answer lay somewhere in her words, a trail that could lead him straight to his other half. Levi sighed, chastising himself for not paying more attention to Hanji when she would try to rope him into solving her riddles or for failing to bring her along on this difficult journey. A pang of loneliness pierced Levi's heart. He had left with barely a word, only a brief glance towards Erwin and Hanji before taking off on a trek from which he may not return. He had never felt wholly at home in the clan since his mother had passed, particularly while Kenny ruled, but they were still his family, and he had left them behind when they would have surely followed had he asked. 

Levi's attention shifted abruptly as the washerwoman came back to herself. He had answered her questions and her work was done. As his grip loosened and her skin, which had lost all its color during their exchange, lost the last of its warmth, she returned to her washing as though he had never been there. Levi studied the clothes in her hands once more, taking in the blood stains around the collar and the way they seeped down the tunic, pooling in the center as though the person had been laid on their back as they died. He saw claw marks across the front of the tunic, not so much as though torn off the corpse, but as if someone had grasped onto the cloth to keep their victim still.

Levi got closer, no longer fearful of the washerwoman as they had made peace between them and she would not be a risk to him again until he left the clearing and returned. Instead, she was simply a docile figure near the stream, sharing space with him but otherwise nonexistent. The soft patter of the droplets of water falling from the cloth into the stream, leaving a train of pink, was like somber music at the edge of Levi's consciousness. He was fascinated by the clothing, something pulling at a memory buried in the back of his mind. He tried to remember the stories of precisely what it was about the clothes the washerwoman would care for that might trigger that memory.

In the stories, often told on the nights of the Samhuinn fire, the clothes being washed would be exactly what the individual wore on them at the time of their passing. That passing could be fated anywhere from the next day to the next week, but never more than that. Levi knew that this person had clearly died violently, with no clean cuts through the cloth but rather deep tears which would have caused gashes in the flesh underneath. He looked closer once more, eyes shifting to take on the sharpness from when he would track hunts through the forests. There were no scraps of cloth beyond those of the tunic itself, no indication of anything else from the environment except a strange emblem stitched on the pocket. 

As Levi leaned closer, careful to avoid touching the washerwoman and disrupting the stillness of the clearing. The emblem was one of the _aonaran_ , worn by the shaman healers that often traveled between clans, having no known affiliation beyond their craft. Levi knew that mark and remembered seeing it the day he felt Eren for the first time. His heart nearly stopped, fear coursing through his veins as he recalled the riddles of the washerwoman. His mind raced, retracing her words, wondering if she was implying that Eren would die at night; that these were, in fact, his clothes; that by fear and fright Eren's death would come to pass when Levi stumbled upon him in the light of the moon.

Levi ran through the rest of the information the washerwoman had provided him, trying desperately to disprove the thoughts that were running through his mind; how each new riddle could easily be construed into believing that these were, in fact, Eren's clothes. They were dirty and tattered, more than likely by the torment that he had experienced over the last several years. They were not large, fitting a standard adult male a little on the smaller side as though the person was an omega, particularly a malnourished one. 

Levi reached out to touch the cloth, hesitating only a moment before noticing that the washerwoman made no move to remove him from her space. He grabbed the yet unwashed piece of stocking, lifting it to his nose and staggering back when the scent of Eren washed over him, mixed with notes of his own scent.

Fear washed through him. If his scent still lingered on these clothes, even as odd and not quite right as it smelt in the moment, did that mean that Levi would be near him when Eren passed? Levi's mind began to race. He was going to be too late; he was going to miss his opportunity to hold Eren. Levi's heart constricted, staggering away from the stream as he felt the grief of watching the man he had come to know as his other half die before him. 

With a heavy heart, Levi clenched his fists, anger brewing in his gut at the fates that had twisted themselves in such a way, making him vulnerable to their will and then ripping away the only chance of happiness he felt he would ever have. If Eren were to pass in front of him, there would be no stopping the _ruguire_. It would consume him, a curse that would take his own death to stop. The washerwoman had said herself that was the only way for Levi to stop the _ruguire_. Levi set his jaw, lips forming a fine line as her riddles began to fall into place. 

If only he had realized sooner, Levi lamented. If he had solved her riddles before the final one, he could have asked for Eren's salvation. Instead, so focused as he was on finding his other half, he had led him to his death. There was no hope now; Eren's fate was sealed. With no option to interrupt her anymore, the washerwoman would finish her task and his cloth would be added to the tapestry of the wyrd.

Levi watched as the washerwoman continued her work, watching as Eren's blood dripped into the stream, carried away as though it had never been there. This would be their legacy, washed away by the water before it could even begin. He would remember Eren until the _ruguire_ took hold of him and then nothing would stand in his way until there was an arrow through his heart. He would tear the world asunder, not by a choice of his own but by the fighting instincts that drove him forward, his alpha screaming for a mate he would never find again. If only he had listened to Hanji and Petra; they had tried to help him decipher what the nightmares and phantom memories were, but instead Levi was hard-headed, unwilling to admit that he was attached to someone in such a way, particularly someone he had barely ever met before. 

Instead, months later, all he was left with was the phantom pain of Eren's torture skittering up his limbs and the knowledge that he would arrive just in time to watch his mate die. As the last of the blood was washed from the clothes, the cloth neatly folded and set aside, he held onto the knowledge that at least Eren would be traveling through the veil in better shape than he had left it. Levi vowed to hold his mate, to usher him across the veil and lay him to rest; to be there for him in death like he was unable to be in life. 

Levi was resolute, grief giving way to determination. He would ensure he was there for Eren, despite the pain and madness it would cause. Stumbling from the clearing, he made his way towards the mountains. His destination was at the foot of the Am Monadh Ruadh. He knew that much was clear from the washerwoman's riddle. 

" _Dar ar mbréthir trá isatt áilsiu damsa e bidat áil hi céin bat béo._ (I swear to you, you are my desire and will be until my dying breath)." Levi whispered into the twilight blanketing the forest," _Tussu d’éc, missi d’anad, sírdursan ar sírscarad._ (Were you to die and I to remain, the eternal separation will be my everlasting devastation)."

~~~

" _Dar ar mbréthir trá isatt áilsiu damsa e bidat áil hi céin bat béo_ ," Eren murmured, voice quiet as a whisper as he answered a vow and lamentation echoing in his mind, " _Tussu d’éc, missi d’anad, sírdursan ar sírscarad_. " Green eyes closed, their former golden glow fading to emerald as Eren slumped.

" _Ní gnáth orgain cen scéola_. (However harsh the battle, there will always be a survivor)," Eren mumbled, head hung low as he swayed. Crimson trails carved their way down his arms where blood and sweat mixed to paint his caramel skin, " _Ní túalaing mór nad·fhulaing in mbec_ (He who cannot bear the small is not capable of the great)."

"The boy's finally lost it," Kenny commented as he stepped back, pulling the blade from Eren's flesh for a final time. He stepped back to the doorway, cleaning his blade of the syrupy liquid that clung to it as Grisha followed. They watched the twitches and shivers of the body suspended in the cell, a curious look spreading across Grisha's face.

"Aye, looks like he's gone back into that trance from before. We best stay back should he launch another attack when he comes out of it," Grisha replied, scratching at his patchy beard and readjusting his tunic as it hung wrinkled and loose from his shoulders, nervous energy thrumming through his veins. The research wasn't making sense anymore, the cyelon powder should cause increased aggression, yes, but the fight response was unexpected. "I expected him to be reacting differently by now. He's fighting, but not in the way we have conditioned him," Grisha continued, flipping through his notebook to pinpoint where the shift had happened.

"I thought the dumb thing would be fighting back against a mate that's causing him harm, but I guess he's too stupid for that," Kenny grumbled, "If we want him to kill the runt for us, we can't have him reacting like a bitch in heat even when I'm sliding a knife into him."

"Well, if that 'runt,' as you so lovingly call him, hadn't let Erwin walk right in and take the clan from you, would we wouldn't be in this situation," Grisha murmured, still pouring over his notes despite Kenney's increasing agitation, "and he won't even die like a normal _blaigeard_."

Kenney's eyes flared, willing the faint traces of fae magic left within him to swirl at his feet, "I gave you more resources than I'd give my closest ally to break their bond, to keep the bitch away and force the runt to turn. Instead, you tell me you couldn't even prevent him from going into heat? " Kenny was seething, eyes piercing through Grisha. 

Grisha shrugged, finger tracing down a page from early in their experiments, "They are both strong, unusually and fascinatingly so. Pulling him away from Eren when their bond was flaring should have broken him. I've never seen a bond start to form like that, even before there was a mark or a heat to connect them. I hadn't even known for certain that Eren was an omega at that point. He was always so firey, so reckless and brash. But he has always been an impossibility. It's why his mother was killed; why he needed to be punished; why I should have killed him long ago. " Grisha's eyes went distant, focusing briefly on Eren as he shook in his place, the drip-drip of blood from Eren's chin echoing against the walls. "His birth should never have happened; it was a gift from the Seelie court for Carla's healing work with the fae. We took it at face value, a blessing granted with nothing needed in return. The Unseelie had other plans. If he had never made his way through the veil and into her womb, I would still have her in my arms." 

"Droch do drochaib, dag do dagaib. (Bad to the bad and good to the good)," Eren murmured, voice thick and heavy. Grisha was unphased, gaze contemplative as he continued to catalog both Eren's injuries and his current condition, eyes glassy and withdrawn, as though seeing something far away and yet right before him. Grisha hummed, turning back to his book as he tapped his charcoal to his chin, the black smudge stark against his pallid skin. "He has his mother's smile, you know. It's why I could never finish him off, why I did let you do it even before we discovered he was our best chance at killing your nephew. "

"If I hadn't had Nile deliver that handkerchief to you, we'd be years away from any progress. You know as well as I do that smelling his mate's heat and blood set him off.

"Ay," Kenny grumbled, resigned to the truth in Grisha's words but frustrated with their lack of progress none-the-less, "But it only sent him into psedo-rut, not some full-fledged frenzy like it was supposed to."

"Bròn agus fuil a ’stialladh an talamh le na dathan aca (sorrow and blood stain the earth with their dyes)," Eren chanted, eyes raising to lock with Grisha's, emerald flaring to gold. 

"What's he on about now?" Grisha asked, turning his scruffed face up to Kenney.

"Something about good and evil," Kenny grumbled, slipping the blade against Eren's skin, leaving fine slits in its wake. 

"Marbhadh (kill)," Eren ground out, teeth clenched tightly against the pain skittering across his nerves. Something dark and ancient curled through his core, slipping down his skin and seeping through his veins. Kenny stepped back, Grisha's eyes blowing wide as sparks of light bursting from Eren's fingertips. Dust began to fall from the stone ceiling, rubble tumbling around Eren as his body shook and his screams ripped through the air like a knife slicing through silk. 

In a burst of light, Eren lept forward, chains pulled from the ceiling and dragging behind him as he sprung towards Grisha. The man was pinned in an instant, body slamming against the wall as dark, elongated claws dug into his tunic and ripped through cloth and flesh. Grisha struggled for a moment before meeting Eren's gaze, eyes bright and burning with emerald and gold. His face softened, taking in the crazed state of the creature before him, finally broken as he had been when his mate was taken from him. 

"Is tusa mo mhac. Tha e ceart gu leòr (You are my son. It's alright)," Grisha murmured, closing his eyes as Eren's teeth sunk into his throat. Eren bit down, the miasma dripping down his throat as he drained the life from his father. His gaze lifted, locking with Kenny's as the older man backed away from the scene. Gore dripped from Eren's lips, muscle and sinew flying from his mouth as he roared. "Marbh iad uile (kill them all)!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for your kind words and incredible patience.


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